Qui sum ego?
by Shng Lotn
Summary: Clockwork chose a different course of action and Daniel Fenton is wrenched from his own world and into another mere seconds before the event that killed his family. Weakened and relying on the aid of a trainer and a gastly, he enters the Jirachi Hunt.
1. Chapter 1

_"With kindness comes naïveté. Courage becomes foolhardiness. And dedication has no reward. If you can't accept any of that, you are not fit to be a magical girl."_ –Homura Akemi, Puella Magi Madoka Magica

* * *

><p><em>Nothing.<em>

Time rippled from the touch of his staff as if it were water, the disturbances reaching to the boundaries of the vortex and ripping holes that had been sewn together all too hastily.

This did not distract the spectre from his task. Gathering solid entropy bound by temporal mass in ringlets around the timepiece he twirled it in his gleaming hands as if he were dancing before a watching audience, one that could stay fluid while time was not.

_Impressive _the Observants acknowledged, _but what do you intend to do?_

He ignored them. They did not matter at that moment: He had more important tasks to attend to. He knelt to the frozen ground, where a combination of flesh and ectoplasm lay before him. If time were not still, it would have been an intelligent being.

Shadows danced a dance, a dance that had never been but yet was always performed in the vastness of the universe, and with it came a **being**.

The **being** was enormous, stretching from the first instance to the last, towering over all but its sibling, which was equal to it in size, but of another kind.

**WHY DID YOU/I/HE SUMMON YOU/ME/HIM? **The **being** asked, though the **being **knew of all that happened inside itself.

He pointed to the flesh and ectoplasm. No words were needed: all things were written as clear as the sun to the **being**.

**VERY WELL. I/YOU/HE NEEDS _IT_ ELSEWHERE.**

Nothing.

Time continued, as if it had never stopped, but one thing had changed.

Danny Phantom did not exist.

"What's done is done." the green baby said, though a single ectoplasmic tear dripped down his cheek.

* * *

><p>I gasp for air like a drowning man and lie helpless on the floor, my scorched skin burning from contact with the painfully cool night air.<p>

I open my eyes and look around at what should be pavement and roads, and fire, if such a thing caused my burns.

But there is nothing but trees.

Okay, it probably isn't the ghost zone, judging by the night sky, so where exactly am I?

Going ghost!

Ouch… my ghost form seems to have been pretty badly damaged by whatever happened, it's a good thing that I went Ghost when the explosion happened, or I would have been killed for sure.

But what about everyone else! _They can't go ghost! _And they were closer than me to the explosion!

Sam… Tucker… Jazz… Mom… Dad… dead… NO! Dad probably invented something that would protect them from explosions and forgot to mention it to us, stuff like that's happened often enough in the past, hasn't it? Heh, funny that, it's almost like I live inside a bad cartoon, or something. He must have survived.

But even if Dad **did **survive, then where am **I**?

AH! No, can't lose consciousness, fading… Sam…

* * *

><p>All was quiet in the forest.<p>

"Gastly?"

An organic cloud of gas and ectoplasm hovered above the ground, munching on the dreams of the nearby bugs. It was as happy as a cloud of gas can be.

"Gastly!" There, on the leafy forest floor was a human.

For the gastly, such a tasty morsel was very rare, as humans were **so delicious** compared to the bugs, but unfortunately most humans lived in packs that would chase it away before it even started to feast on their _oh oh oh so lovely_ **flesh**.

But this one was away from its pack, or even the strong and powerful beings that they would carry in their _horrible_ red and white spheres.

Such a thing was too good to be true!

"Gastly!"

* * *

><p>Dream Eater is a curious move. Despite being useless in battle, unless you can send your opponent to sleep, it is used by Pokemon of the ghastly family to feed on their victims before the main course, the prey's flesh.<p>

When used by ghosts it saps away the victim's spirit to fuel their own. This is fine for the species as a whole, but what would happen if one were to feed on the spirit of something unique, such as a halfa?

Halfas were humans with the ability to transform into spirits, ghosts, and use the abilities that come with such a form.

For their being to survive such a thing, their minds were imprinted onto the entity that they became in the transformation.

…And spirit is what Dream Eater feeds upon.

Do you understand?

* * *

><p>The Pokemon lowered itself onto the boy below itself and started to feed on the his spirit…<p>

* * *

><p><em>prey-feed-delicious-tasty-morsel-dream-conscious mind-feed-delicious-feed-sustaining-alarm- what's happening? Who am? Why am? What am? Something has happened! feel different, somehow.<em>

_Get a hold; this is no time to be wondering who am!_

_Fenton… Is that who am? _

_No. Am not Fenton; am…_

_Am…_

_Who am then?_

_Sam? _

…_no._

_Tucker?_

…_no._

_Jazz?_

…_no._

_Mom?_

…_no._

_Dad?_

…_no._

_Lancer?_

…_no?_

_Lancer is not like the others, could be Lancer?_

_Then what __**is**__ a Lancer?_

_This prey… boy… below seems special somehow. Maybe it… he… knows._

_I will ask him once he wakes up._

* * *

><p>Lancer guarded the boy from all predators until morning, when the boy awoke.<p>

"Gastly!"

"Ah!"


	2. Chapter 2

disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Danny Phantom

"With these hands I've picked a rose  
>And have stopped its life<br>Only now I understand  
>I stole its life"- ENGLISH "Magia" Madoka Magica (AmaLee)<p>

* * *

><p>"Ah!" I stare up at the ghost above me. at least, I think it's a ghost. If it is one, then it's not like any I've seen before, and I've seen a lot of unusual ghosts.<p>

It is a strange purple haze with sharp teeth and green eyes, eyes that are exactly the same shade of green as Phantom's, actually.

"Ack!" my mind explodes with pain as I attempt to move my right arm. Ouch… my right half hurt_s _like hell, but I manage to move into a low crouch, ready for the thing's attack.

Only… it's just floating there, watching me.

Maybe I look so pathetic that it doesn't think I'm worth its time?

"Gastly."

I manage to say "What?" but I have another attack of pain and stop talking immediately. It looks like talking is too much for me at the moment.

It hovers there for a moment, before its eyes seem to light up in comprehension and it flies away.

Great, now it's gone and my burns don't hurt; can I move now?

"Ahh!"

Maybe not then.

I sigh and begin counting to distract myself from the blossoming pain.

* * *

><p><em>Bluehealburnberry…bluehealburnberry…bluehealburnberry… <em>Lancer thought as he flew around the forest searching for the blueburnhealberry_. _He had seen prey use it before when burned, and how it had cured them within minutes…_ bluehealburnberry… bluehealburnberry… bluehealburnberry… There! _Lancer lowered himself to a foot above the ground, and examined his prize.

Extending a tendril of himself and concentrating it, he picked up the bluehealburnberry and flew back to the boy.

Seven hundred and one, seven hundred and two, seven hundred and seven- no, two, seven hundred and three…

I try moving a bit, but the pain keeps me from moving too much. Wait; is that the thing from earlier? Is that a berry it's holding?

The thing draws closer, and only stops moving when it is directly above my face, and I can see its luminous green eyes staring into my own.

Intelligent eyes.

I close my eyes tightly from pain as it opens my jaw, aggravating the burn wounds.

Something hard and bitter is being pushed into my mouth and down my throat. For a moment I feel numb, then relief.

MY BURNS! THEY'VE HEALED! Slowly and unsteadily, I manage to stand up. I look the thi-person in the eye and thank them.

"Gastly?" It asks.

Blink.

"Gasrt-lelee stlee gar tlee?"

…Okay, this is awkward.

"Sorry" I tell it, "I don't speak ghastly."

10 'o clock, nite

"Gastly, garst-lee, garst-garst gar-stly!" Lancer cursed as he flew around aimlessly. Why had it not occurred to him that humans would not understand his dialect? It wasn't like they didn't pass through often enough! Oh well, the past was the past, and now all he needed to do was find someone who could understand him, and ask _them_ who he was.

Meat!

On leafy forest floor there lay an old and fat _tastybirdyum, _letting out feeble cries as a group of gastly crowded round it and tore long strips of its flesh from it with their sharp teeth.

Lancer hurried forward, eager to get some of the meat before his fellows ate it all. Shoving several of them to the side, the green-eyed gastly leapt at the unexposed flesh and started tearing off chunks of it for himself.

The _tastybirdyum _had stopped struggling, resigning itself to the onslaught, its spirit broken.

Just how Lancer liked it.

…Didn't he?

He paused mid mouthful and frowned.

Something felt… different.

Resolving to mull over it later, when he had eaten, Lancer finished his mouthful and turned his eyes back to the _tastybirdyum._

He found himself looking directly into its eyes.

Soulful eyes, ones that while almost dead seemed to reach out and touch Lancer's heart.

Lancer understood.

My_ god… what have I done?_

He watched in horror as his fellow's teeth tore through the _tastybird_- **victim's **skin and flesh with the speed of a butter knife through cheese, sending the **victim **into throes of agony.

An innocent soul, one that done nothing to deserve this pain.

_This must __**end**__._

Lancer reached out with a single tendril of gas towards the victim's head and smothered it in his body's poisonous gases. It died within seconds.

_There. You do not have to suffer for any longer. I hope that one day I will, if there is an afterlife that you will forgive us._

_Even if I will __**never**__ forgive myself._

_How long has this been going on for? _Lancer asked himself with growing horror, _why had I not realised this before? This is sick! _

"Gastly garst-ly garsty gar-stly" '_Stop-fun-tastybirdyum-enjoy-why_?' one of the Gastly demanded.

Lancer looked up from his musings to see that the others had taken their attention to him.

"Gars-ly t-garsly! garsteet garsty garartee?" _'Because it's sick! Can you not see that?'_ He spat.

"Garsly garst garst-lee garst?" '_Sick-why_?'

Lancer gaped at the other gastly in horror; surely he knew?

Relative silence continued for what felt like hours until the other gastly grew bored and turned its attention back to the corpse.'

"Gars-t-lee! Stleegarse gartasltee!" 'No! Listen to me!' Lancer shouted, placing himself in front of the gastly. "garatlee sgararstlee gartslee gart!" 'We have caused unspeakable pain to another being and taken pleasure in it! Can you not see that that is wrong?'

The gastly shoved him to the side and started gnawing on the bloody corpse, as had the others.

* * *

><p><em>Why cannot they see this… butchery for what it is?<em>

_Surely they __**know!**_

_No… if they knew, they would have stopped it long ago and I would have never have been so horrified at my fellow's behavior._

_Fellows._

_Is that truly what they are? Despite this atrocity are they still my kin?_

_NO. No kin of mine would do such a thing._

_But they were my kin once, weren't they? I do not believe that they have changed, judging from my memories of them, which would mean that I am the one who has changed._

_But how have I changed? What has set me apart from my former fellows? Why me?_

_What have I done that sets me apart from them?_

_Seeing the victim's eyes? No, while it helped me come to my realization it is not unusual for a gastly to look into the eyes of their victims._

_My name? N- perhaps. My mind seems to have cleared since I have gained a name but on the other hand, those that are captured and subdued by humans in their red and white balls and are then given names do not seem to share my views, if I remember correctly._

_What is it then? _

_They are __**given**__ names! Humans that captured them give the names they have to them! Despite having names their minds are barely different from before!_

_**I**__ gave myself my name. Like a human I gave myself a name, something to identify myself with, when before I needed nothing of the sort!_

_Which means that my mind has changed._

_But what has changed my mind and made it more like a human's? What has happened to me to make it so?_

_That boy! I sapped his dreams, his mind and absorbed his energies into my own, and it must have changed me somehow._

_This has never happened before to anyone. I am unique, the first mixture of ghost and human to ever exist in any way._

_And I cannot relate to either; humans will not understand me, and ghosts will not comprehend my views._

Lancer gazed upon the victim's exposed skeleton and did what no gastly had ever done before:

He wept.


	3. Chapter 3

"If someone says it's wrong to hope, I will tell them that they're wrong every time. I could tell them that countless times!"

—**Madoka Kaname** Puella Magi Madoka Magica

* * *

><p><em>The sun shines down on a slumbering form on the leafy forest floor.<em>

* * *

><p>I must have passed out again, was I really that exhausted?<p>

Brushing leaves out of my clothes, I stand and concentrate.

Going ghost!

Argh! What's wrong with my ghost form? Did it not heal from the burns?

No, it healed, but something hurts terribly … I can hardly move, and my arms and legs feel like lead and my head...

I feel like I've lost something

I transform back into my human form and the pain and loss disappears.

…Much better, now to get out of this place.

…_grumble… _my stomach growls_.  
><em>

But first, I need something to eat.

* * *

><p>All was quiet in the forest.<p>

The boy wipes his sticky hands on his torn and burnt trousers and looks around at his surroundings, not noticing that many of his accumulated cuts and scratches are quickly vanishing.

"Good thing I found these berries," he mutters to himself. "Now which way is the exit?"

He closes his eyes and turns slowly on the spot so as not to fall, before opening his eyes and settling on a direction.

The forest floor crackles underfoot as he stumbles forward into the unknown.

* * *

><p><em>"Scyther!" <em>

_The humanoid bug paused and sniffed at the wind, on which the scent of a tired juicy mammal was floating._

_It seemed obvious to the scyther that the prey was exhausted from its long day - had gone without any form of nourishment for several hours, and that this mammal-meat would to be the perfect sustenance for any bug type's empty abdomen._

_The wings folded on its back burst into motion at a faster rate than the naked eye could follow, propelling it towards the source of the deliciously meaty smell._

_Dinner time._

* * *

><p>The gastly came to them, saving some from strong winds that would knock them off their perches and others simply from the terror of an incredibly frightening nightmare.<p>

The rest, he would defend, fighting tooth and nail against his former kin who delighted in taste of victim-kind.

Until, finally, the sweet respite of morning came.

Lancer dropped to the floor exhausted, barely able to move from his nightly exertions that had taken what seemed to be the last dregs of his energy.

His mission of repentance was more exhausting than he thought, but that did not deter him. He would continue the good fight until he was nothing more than a formless clod of gas floating in the breeze, or there were no more victims to save.

Lancer, doubting the latter would ever occur, resigned himself to the former.

The green-eyed gastly lay on the ground, preparing to sleep.

_BZZ... _

A _slicybug _flew past him, most likely hunting for a victim.

Lancer was reasonably familiar with the hunting habits of _slicybugs, _having fought several in the time before his realisation.

First, they would find the scent of their prey in the air, then they furiously would hunt it down until they found it. When they found it…

Lancer shuddered.

The intelligent gas cloud rose up from the ground and followed the trail that the _slicybug _had left behind itself.

The poisonous cloud accidentally phased through a tree, killing it instantly.

He winced.

* * *

><p>I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with T.<p>

Yes that's right Fenton, trees.

I've been walking for a while now and there is still no exit out of this leafy nightmare!

…you could say that I want these trees to _leaf _me alone!

"Hah!"

Calm down Fenton.

Sam. I miss her.

I can almost see her now, sitting in that tree over there!… _"Danny, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience an environment completely untouched by humans! You ought to enjoy it."_

Am I going insane?

Perhaps, but at least I'm turning mad in a peaceful environment.

_BZZ..._

"Scyther!"

Something is about to collide with my head.

I duck quickly to the side and turn to face my attacker.

It's a green bug thing on two legs.

Seriously, what is it with the ghosts in this forest!

Ridiculousness of the situation aside, those blade arms look dangerous and doubt that its a friendly bug thing.

"Scyther! Scythe!" it yells as it attacks.

* * *

><p><strong>A wild SCYTHER appeared!<strong>

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY SWIPES!**

**But it missed!**

Danny dodged the furiously executed slashes from the bladed bug. It could not control its momentum, and both its arms plunged into the thick trunk of the tree before it.

_Sorry Sam._

"Scyther!" it howled furiously.

Bladearms, as Danny had mentally nicknamed it, wrenched its arms free of the tree and turned vengefully back to face the halfa.

**DANNY WENT GHOST!**

"Going ghost!"

The familiar spectral rings passed over his body, bleaching his hair white, turning his eyes green and tinting his skin slightly orange.

On his chest was emblazoned a D and P merged. It stood for Danny Phantom, not that anyone beside himself would know that in this universe, nor why his hazmat was black.

He ignored the terrible aching feeling of loss and pain and stood his ground, waiting for Bladearms to strike again.

**The wild SCYTHER used SLASH!**

Bladearms charged forwards, the small wings on his back granting him extra speed. He sliced both blades downwards lightning fast...

**But it has no effect!**

Danny Phantom quickly became translucent before the blades hit him, where upon, instead of cutting through ectoplasm, they cut nothing but air and sunk into the earth.

**The effects of GOING GHOST wore off!**

"Ah!" Danny screamed as sharp pains wrenched through his body, causing him to transform back into his human form: Danny Fenton.

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER! **

**But it missed!**

Danny barely managed to duck Bladearm's next volley of angry swipes by tripping over a root that had somehow found itself underneath his foot.

**Danny used ECTOBLAST!**

The halfa managed to fire off a weak and barely visible ectoblast, which knocked Bladearms backwards a few steps, giving Danny the time he needed to phase through a tree and escape.

**Danny ran away!**

The scyther growled in frustration before resuming his pursuit. There was no way his prey was going to escape that easily!

* * *

><p>Up above the treetops a gastly with bright green eyes searched furiously for any sign of the <em>slicybug <em>that it was pursuing.

* * *

><p>There! Lancer chased eagerly towards the source of the commotion, though half of his concentration was spent of holding himself together against the strength of the wind.<p>

* * *

><p>He was unaware of a ten-year-old human mounted on a bike pointing a pink machine at him.<p>

"_GASTLY, the GAS POKEMON With its gas-like body, it can sneak into any place it desires. However, it can be blown away by wind_" the pokedex announced in a mechanical tone.

"Gastly huh." The ten-year-old girl muttered to herself, "But if they can be blown away by a strong wind, then how can it stay up there? It must be strong." She grinned. "Seems like a good Pokemon to add to my team, wouldn't you think so Pan?"

"Machop!"

* * *

><p>"Huh... huh... huh..."<p>

I stop running and suck air into my deprived lungs.

My powers are screwy, I'm in an unfamiliar location and I'm being chased by a new enemy with blades for arms: all in a day's work for Danny Phantom!

Crack!

Maybe next time I get angry I shouldn't punch a tree?

At least it looks like lost him.

I wonder whether Sam and Tucker feel as bad as I do.

I hope they're alright. They're probably worrying about me over a Nasty Burger while they read their CAT results.

Why did I have to steal the answer sheet again? And how did I get here anyway?

"Scyther scythe!"

Oh crap.

* * *

><p><strong>A wild SCYTHER appeared!<strong>

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER! **

"Arhg!"

**Danny blacked out…**

The scyther poked his bleeding prey with the blunt side of his blade to make sure it was dead.

It wasn't.

The scyther raised both blades high into the air above the prey's fragile skull, then plunged them downwards…

**The wild POKEMON Lancer appeared!**

**Lancer used ECTOBLAST!**

Lancer fired a strong blast of strangely vibrant green energy that exploded on contact and knocked the scyther away before the bug's blades could touch their intended victim.

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

The green humanoid bug leapt to its feet and charged at Lancer.

In the blink of an eye it was upon him, blades slicing through his ghostly body like a knife through melted butter.

**It's not very effective!**

* * *

><p>While the bug element was not usually very powerful against either ghosts or poisonous beings, Fury Cutter is a very powerful move as it doubles in strength after each successful hit unless the sequence is broken.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!<strong>

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**The wild SCYTHER used FURY CUTTER!**

**It's not very effective!**

**Lancer used ECTOBLAST! **

Lancer, fighting to stay conscious, concentrated and hastily fired another beam of bright green energy in the general direction of his opponent.

**Critical hit! **

The energy blast hit the scyther directly between its legs, sending it flying several feet through the trees and into unconsciousness.

**The wild SCYTHER fainted!**

Lancer rose up unsteadily from the ground and floated towards the boy.

"Sam…" the boy murmured, before opening his eyes and looking directly above.

* * *

><p>It's the ghost from before!<p>

It floats above my head looking exhausted, is that green blood?

Where's Bladearms?

Oh, I see.

"Did you save me?" I ask it. I want to say more but I don't think I can manage much besides breathing at the moment, such is the pain of my ribs.

"Gastly garst tly garst." It says, and makes the motion of what I _think _is a nod, which is quite weird since it's essentially a floating head.

"Berries?" I ask it.

"Lee!" it agrees, and turns to leave, but something hits it in the face and it is enveloped in a red glow.

It vanishes, and something heavy drops onto my forehead.

Losing consciousness… Sam…

* * *

><p><em>Where am I?<em>

_What is this place?_

_Who are these people?  
><em>

_This is my parent's lab! I remember now!_

_I'm talking to them, and feeling embarrassed, but it's a warm feeling of embarrassment… I think._

_Parents? What am I thinking? I have no parents that I know of, and even if they haven't dispersed to the air by now they're still most definitely not any being that I would care to meet._

_But they are still _someone's _parents._

_The question being, whose?_

In the confines of his Pokeball, Lancer dreams.

* * *

><p>"Sam…" I croak through dry lips.<p>

"Oh you're awake, I'm so glad." I hear a voice say.

I look over to the source and blink.

Standing at the door of my room I see a nurse with pink hair. She's pretty. Man, Tucker would love to be here.

Actually, maybe not, considering his nosocomephobia.

"What happened?"

The nurse smiles. "A girl brought you in. She said she'd saved you from a wild Pokemon attack."

Huh?

"A Pokemon?"

"Yes, she said it was a gastly…" Pink-hair frowns. "But your injuries seem to be more in line with being attacked by a wild scyther since…"

"What's a Pokemon?" I interrupt.

"Don't you know?" she asks, looking concerned. "Maybe you should sleep again; you're exhausted."

"What are they?"

* * *

><p>Ernie the janitor smiled to himself as he examined his work with pride. Never before had there been such a clean floor in his hospital.<p>

Carefully picking up his pail of dirty water he started towards the sanctuary of his storeroom, where hot coffee awaited him.

"THE'RE WHAT?" He heard someone shout.

"I think you should could lie back down." The voice of Nurse Joy pleaded, "I think you may have suffered brain damage."

"NO! THAT GHOST SAVED MY LIFE! NOW IT'S GOING TO BE A SLAVE FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFE!"

"…"

"Where did the trainer go?" he heard the first voice ask in a somewhat more gentle tone than before.

"She took the S.S Aqua to Hoenn." Nurse Joy replied, bewildered. "No! Please sit down!"

A boy, wearing nothing but a hospital gown ran through the wall and faced Ernie with a scowl.

"Where is the S.S Aqua?" he demanded.

Ernie pointed wordlessly out of the window at the expensive cruise ship that was rapidly sailing out of the harbour.

"Going Ghost!"

Glowing rings passed over the boy's body as he jumped through the _closed _window _without smashing it. _The shocked janitor stared as the boy _flew _in the direction of the speeding cruise ship.

Dirty water lapped at Ernie's feet.

"Damn it!"

* * *

><p>The wind is tugging at my body, but I do the same thing to it as I do to the terribly <em>wrong <em>feeling of emptiness and pain: I ignore it.

…Getting closer…

I almost find myself changing back, but restrain the urge, if I change back now…

Yes... Made it!

Quickly, I phase into what looks like someone's cupboard and return to human form.

Don't worry. my green-eyed cloudy friend: I'm coming.

Losing consciousness… Sam…

* * *

><p><strong>A few weeks ago.<strong>

The morning sun shone brightly over Ecruteak city, banishing the darkness of night and giving the fallen autumn leaves a golden tint.

On the borders of the human settlement, two voices could be heard.

"Bag?"

"Check!"

"Hat?"

"Check!"

"Pokeballs?"

"Check!" Lyra sighed before leaping at her mother and hugging her tightly. "I'll miss you!" Lyra told her. They continued the hug for a long time, and then Lyra unfolded her bike and mounted it.

"Good bye Mother!" Lyra shouted as she cycled away as slowly as she could "I'll miss you!"

As she rode towards the distant horizon, Lyra's mother cried, knowing that it would, in all likelihood, be the last time she would ever see her daughter again.

Such is the fate of the Pokemon trainer.


	4. Chapter 4

Lancer is level eight. Despite his ability to produce ectoblasts he is only at level eight right now

What do you know about me? What _can_ you know about me? Truly, I am a human being who writes fanfiction. In a work such as this, the intelligence of the characters is determined by the intelligence of the writer: for instance, L, the super-intelligent detective may be flummoxed by what the writer considers an especially fiendish riddle, but is in fact could be easily solved by any moderately clever five-year-old.

There is another factor to consider when you are writing: you, the author may know _everything _about your characters and the world that they live in, but do your characters?

You, the readers may be able to piece together the individual facts using your own knowledge of the Pokemon and Danny Phantom worlds, like the human-given name of the _bluehealburnberry, _which is the Rawst Berry, but can Lancer and Danny know about it unless they are told by someone who does?

This is what the Watson is for. Would you like to read a story about Ford Prefect, a writer for the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or would you like to read about Arthur Dent, an everyday person who needs explanations on what everything is so you can be told in a realistic manner?

Here goes!

* * *

><p>…<em>BMMMM… <em>

"_Hello?"_

…_BMMMMM…_

"_Is anyone there?" Footsteps._

…_BMMMMMM…_

"_Anyone? Anyone at all? Please! Is anyone there?" Panic._

…_BMMMMMMMM…_

"_Where am I?"_

…_BMMMMMMMMMMM…_

"_Help."_

_Click._

* * *

><p>The SS. Aqua sped along the frothy waters of the Hoenn borders, emanating minute vibrations that repelled most predators. This, along with the powerful repel-based solvents painted generously on the hull was what prevented the attacks from wild and untrained assailants.<p>

A true masterpiece of modern technology.

A pity it had to go.

"Alright sir?"

The admin grinned at the scene, compressed the telescope to the size of a pen, and slotted it into a rectangular device that he took from his coat pocket. "I'm fine."

The helicopter sped towards the unsuspecting SS. Aqua, their goal sinister.

Danny woke slowly, blinking the last remains of sleepiness from his eyes, and listened.

Breathing - slow and steady.

Good, that meant they were asleep.

Danny carefully felt along the edges of the cupboard and pressed against what he guessed was the door, only to find it would not budge. So he pushed his back up against the wall and pushed harder.

Thwack!

"Ow." Danny muttered, rubbing his head gingerly, "Now all I need to do is lose a tooth and it'll be complete-"

"_Nnnn…"_

The halfa froze, careful not to move a muscle in his crackle-prone hospital gown.

The other occupant of the room turned over and fell silent.

Phasing out of his hospital attire, Danny looked up at the clothes in the wardrobe and groaned. _At least, _he told himself, _they're my colour._

* * *

><p>5 minutes later a teenager with black hair quietly walked through the hallways of a cruise ship, squirming uncomfortably under the gaze of the passing trainers.<p>

Wearing a pink mini-skirt, high heels and a neon orange shirt with floral decorations, he was quite the sight.

Danny pulled the hat lower down to hide his face while he struggled to walk normally.

_I need to get some new clothes, fast._

He turned a corner.

_Going Ghost!_

Ectoplasmic circles of light travelled over him, tanning his skin, turning his hair a white that did not fit his youth, his miniskirt and high heels dark green, and his floral patterned shirt a deep navy blue with magenta flower stitching.

Also, his eyes were green and he had a white ghostly D with a P inside it on his chest.

_Okay, now all I need to do is to find a wardrobe and - What the hell?_

Danny looked down with shock at his ghostly ensemble. Gone was the black hazmat. Replacing it instead was a photo negative version of his previous clothes.

The halfa facepalmed.

_Somehow I should have seen this coming._

"CALLING ALL PASSENGERS." A voice said, sounding from the overhead speakers. "THIS SHIP HAS BECOME PROPERTY OF TEAM- OW! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

The halfa sweatdropped.

"AHEM. THANK YOU, MUCH BETTER." The voice continued. "ANYWAY, THE SHIP IS OURS NOW, SO I SUGGEST YOU FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS. YOU MUST ALL MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE DECK, WHERE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PLACE YOUR POKEBALLS IN THE YELLOW BUCKETS PROVIDED BY THE STAFF."

Silence.

"ALSO." The voice said, "HE HAVE HOSTAGES THAT WE WILL KILL IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAVE ON THE PASSENGER LIST, SO IF ANY OF YOU DON'T SHOW UP IN THE NEXT TWENTY MINUTES YOU'LL HAVE THAT ON YOUR HEADS. HAVE A NICE DAY."

Pandemonium erupted

* * *

><p>"Now then." The admin said cheerfully into the microphone, the assembled passengers watching him fearfully, "We seem to be short one passenger, so we're going to kill all these people if you don't show up in the next five minutes. So no pressure, okay?"<p>

A door burst open, and a grunt dragged a ruffled teenager in a miniskirt onto the deck. "Sorry I took so long boss" he grunted, " 'found 'r in da janitor's closet, all trippin' over, sh' was."

"Good work." The admin praised him. "But not good enough"

The grunt's face paled a deathly white. "But boss, I -"

"That's enough!" the admin snapped, "You're fired!" A red and white sphere shot a ray of red light at the deck, that coalesced into a vaguely humanoid form with flaming shoulders, a large torso and humungous cannon-like arms.

Most horrifying of all, however, was its hideous duck like face. White eyes stared from beneath a fringe of hair-like fire and a disturbing stubby bill jutted from its face in a permanent grin.

"MAGMORTAR!" the abomination roared.

The grunt was a fast runner.

Once the smell of roasted spoink had been duly savoured, the Admin spoke. "Team Magma does not accept poorly done work."

He grinned at the shocked faces of the passengers. "Hi, I'm Canicus, nice to meet you."

* * *

><p>Well that's that.<p>

Next chapter we see more of Lancer and his views, which we didn't in this chapter since it's a linking chapter, if you know what I mean.

How do you like Canicus? Originally, he was supposed to be a comic relief villain called Ethan, but I didn't think that it fitted and made him a complete monster instead.

Anyway Canicus means _born of fire _and is a piece of latinized scottish gaelic.

Sorry I took so long to update... I've been busy, with things like GCSEs.

Signed,

S.h.n.g L.o.t.n

(Sharp horns nicked gremlins Lost origins to kNow)


	5. Chapter 5

_Here it is. sorry about how short this one, is, but as they say, it doesn't matter how big it is, it's how you-_

* * *

><p>"That's good. Now I know who I'm about to beat."<p>

Canicus looked into the eyes of the furious teenager that looked up at him – he was, Canicus noted, not a girl, unlike what the ex-grunt had assumed.

Despite his usual charming persona, the admin could feel a mocking sneer forming on his face. "You? How do you intend to do that? You have no weapons, –"

"I know."

"- No Pokeballs, -"

"I know."

"And I'm an Admin."

"I kn- no wait, I didn't know that one. Your point being Mister Can-oh-wus?"

"..!"

He did NOT just say that.

"Bradley!" the admin snapped, "Flamethrower!"

* * *

><p><strong>Forty minutes earlier.<strong>

Lancer looked around at the bright lights in interest. All around him, humans of all shades and colours gibbered excitedly in almost whispered tones.

"And welcome!"

All except one, that was.

"Welcome to the newbie Baaaaaatlllle arena! Where all you newbies can train your recently caught Pokémon in competitive baaaa-tter-ling!"

The assorted humans cheered wildly.

"But let's skip the boring stuff. In the blue corner, we have Lyra from Ecruuuuteak city, that's in Johto for all you Hoenn folks. In the red corner we have Firebreeeeather Dick, also from Johto."

There was a smatter of laughs.

"Wait. It seeems he wants to be called Richard. So-ry."

"Aaa-nyway. Lyra has sent out her gaaaasing Gastly, while firebreather Di- Richard, sorry, has sent out his chaaaarring Charmander!"

"Boooooh!"

"Geez, tough crowd. And the battle starts!"

What was going on? Surely they did not mean for him to –

* * *

><p><strong>Firebreather Di- Richard wants to battle!<strong>

**Firebreather Richard sent out CHARMANDER!**

**Go GASTlY**

"Use ember!" the fat human shouted.

- battle.

**Foe's CHARMANDER used EMBER!**

A thin jet of fire flew from the _Fierytail's _mouth, hitting Lancer directly in the face.

PAIN!

Lancer growled, he would have no trouble defending defending against this one.

"Use lick!" the female human behind him yelled.

Almost instantly, Lancer's body blurred into motion. More quickly than he would have otherwise, the gastly rushed forward and gave the _fierytail _a big lick across the face.

**GASTLY used LICK**

_Ew gross._

The _fierytail _grasped his face in pain and howled in pain, before making an upward swipe at Lancer, who was sent flying upwards.

**Foe's CHARMANDER used METAL CLAW!**

"USE EMBER/NIGHTSHADE!" The Humans bellowed.

The attacks collided in midair, exploding and creating an explosion that shrouded the area in smoke.

Lyra could feel the beginnings of a smirk creeping onto the corners of her face, but restrained herself; there would be plenty of time for smirking later, when the battle had been won.

"Use lick!"

Lancer grinned: in this environment, where smoke surrounded the combatants from all sides, he truly had the advantage of camouflage.

"_Use lick!"_

Lancer once again felt his body moving towards the _fierytail _at an alarming rate, suddenly, he was mere inches from the _fierytail's _inhuman indigo eyes. Leaning forward as only a gaseous entity can, he licked the lizard across the face quickly.

**Lancer used lick!**

"_Charmander, use metal claw!"_

The _fierytail _spasmed and tumbled to the ground, shuddering weakly.

**The foe's CHARMANDER is paralysed! It may not attack!**

* * *

><p>Lyra grinned as the smoke cleared to show her gastly hovering over the shuddering figure of the firebreather's charmander.<p>

"Gastly." She ordered, "Use nightshade."

The ghost Pokémon glowed purple, and focused upon the form of the fire lizard. Its tail flame was nearly extinguished and the each shudder decreased the size of the lizard's tail flame.

"Gaaaaa…"

* * *

><p><em>Yo Lancer Gastly, he was just a ghost<em>

_When a halfa appeared from another world, onto the scene._

_**He's gonna save prey 'cause he's Lancer Gastly**_

_When he saw the prey lying on the ground, Lancer ate some dreams from it_

_Something happened. He changed._

_His mind got rearranged!_

_**Lancer! Lancer!**_

_When he ate the hoothoot he realised he had a human conscience and glowing green eyes._

_He could rationalise, reason and fly!_

_He was much more unique than the other gastly._

_It was then that he resolved what he had to do._

_He had to stop all the cruelty that was coming through._

_He's here to fight for the prey and you!_

_He's gonna stop it all 'cause he's Lancer Gastly_

_Gonna stop it all 'cause he's Lancer Gastly_

_Gonna stop 'em all 'cause he's…_

_Lancer Gastly_

* * *

><p>Present<p>

"Bradly! Flamethrower!"

With unexpected skill the cross dressing teen dived out of the way of the abomination's flames and charged at Canicus.

Only to be engulfed by the magmortar's flamethrower as the cannon swerved around to hit him.

The duck billed monstrosity kept up the blast for about half a minute before letting off.

The flames petered out, leaving nothing but ash on a melted metal floor.

The admin stomped forward and pointed at the softened floor angrily.

"This," he growled, "is what happens happens when people call me Can-Oh-Wuss"

"So nothing much really?" a voice mocked.

Canicus whirled around, only to meet with an uppercut to the face.

With undignified surprise he lay flat on the ground wondering where it had come from.

A hand picked him up by the lapels of his coat dragged him metres above the deck. Furious green eyes met his.

"But this," the voice growled, "is what happens when people try to burn me."

* * *

><p><strong>Forty minutes earlier<strong>

Her gastly's purplish aura faded out, leaving a surprised audience in its wake.

Only the pained breathing of the fire lizard could be heard.

"What are you doing?" Lyra demanded, "Use nightshade!"

Every gaseous muscle in the gastly visibly strained as it fought to meet her in the eye. Slowly and shakily, it moved its body in a way that could be considered the shaking of one's head if it were human.

"Gaaaaa…"

"Use nightshade!" Lyra shrieked, "Do it!"

"Gaaaa…"

"Come on! Use it now!"

"Guuuuuuuuh…"

"Use nightshade! End it!"

"Nuhhhhhhhh…"

"Do it now!" she screamed.

"No."

Silence.

"Nooooo."

Lyra gaped in shock. Did it just-?

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no gaaaa." it chanted. "Nooooo waaaaaa"

Somehow, Lyra managed to gather her thought enough to give an order. "Gastly, use nightshade." She ordered.

In what seemed like a titanic effort, the gastly rose its gaze to meet her eyes, its own, she noticed, were a vibrant green.

"No way."

* * *

><p><em>There I hope you enjoyed tha.<em>

_Also, Jeanette9a drew an **adorable** picture of Danny in his new costume, you should go look a it._

_Signed,  
><em>

_S.H.N.G L.O.T.N  
><em>

_(Sighing Heralds No Good Laughs Of The Night)  
><em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Well here we are with the sixth chapter.**

**My original plan for this story was for it to be a Pokémon/Ranma crossover where Lucario from Lucario and the mystery of Mew falls into our world badly burned and injure, and is found by Ryoga, and together they tour the world getting into crazy adventures.**

**As you can see, it sort of mutated.**

**There are some good things that comes out of having a computer that constantly crashes, one is having to rewrite your unsaved work again, maybe more fluently than the first time round.**

* * *

><p>"But this," the voice growled, "is what happens when people try to burn me."<p>

With those words the green eyed attacker threw Canicus to the floor. The magma admin rolled upon impact to reduce damage, but was unsurprised to find that it did little good.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Canicus slowly stood up to face his attacker. What he saw gave him the urge to laugh manically.

So he did.

Though those clothes _did_ look like they belonged to-.

"Are you done yet?" his assailant grumbled, "I have plans, you know."

Well, that was that then.

"Bradly." Canicus smirked, "flamethrower, now."

Instantly the magmortar raised its huge cannon arms and shot a torrent of flame at the crossdresser . Rather than dive out of the path like last time, he jumped.

Or so the admin thought.

Craning his neck to follow the youth's path, Canicus was shocked to see him suddenly change direction at a sharp almost ninety degree angle, _directly at him_.

Just before his opponent could impact Canicus ducked and rolled to the side, and almost as an afterthought chucked a small sphere the size of a marble to the side.

"Flamethrow-"

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his face, and Canicus could almost feel his opponent's breath on his neck.

Out of his pocket slipped a marble sized sphere.

"You like saying that, don't you?" he asked, "You need more imagination, to heat things up."

Immediately, Canicus bit down hard on his opponent's hand and used a leg to kick backwards. Judging from the sound it produced, he had hit his mark.

The admin turned to look at the teenager curled into a fetal position and sneered, "Thanks for the advice, but I think I'll pass. Bradly, _flamethrower_."

White rings suddenly appeared over the teen's body before vanishing.

The Magmortar obediently raised its cannon.

"No, but wait, surely his last request deserves something special. Bradly, _HYPER BEAM!"_

Instantly, a thick beam of light shot from Bradly's arm and obliterated the boy, leaving no trace whatsoever.

The magmortar froze, recharging after its use of the devastating attack.

Wait… No trace?

Canicus whirled, aiming a powerful punch that was caught before he hit his target.

Out of his pocket fell a small marble sized red and white sphere.

Crack!

"Flamethrower." Canicus grunted.

"Sorry." His opponent smirked, "But it looks like 'Bradly' can't move right now, and did that really work last time?"

"Two things." The admin grinned, "one, it wasn't an order for Bradly, and two, I didn't mean for them to attack you. _Release._"

Immediately, across the deck, three marble sized spheres expanded to the size of golf balls, then split open to release the Monster inside.

As soon as the white light coalesced into their full forms, they turned to face the terrified passengers and spat flames out of their mouths.

Whack!

Canicus rubbed his aching head and stood slowly, returning his Pokemon as he did so.

"Well," he gloated, "looks like you couldn't take the heat. One attack on innocents and you gladly sacrifice yourself to save innocents. Huh."

White circles appeared from nowhere and traveled over the teens body slowly, changing the colour of his clothes and paling his skin to a lighter tone.

Interesting.

"Take this boy back to headquarters," the Magma Admin told his grunts, "We've already got the thing we're looking for haven't we?"

"…"

* * *

><p><strong>Earlier.<strong>

"No way." Lancer said. He had no idea how he was even talking, paid it little thought: he had things to say. "You people disgust me: here you are in your masses celebrating two creatures _beating each other up _for nothing but prizes and fun? Do you _realize _how _sick _that is? Do you even care about the pain you are causing this _fierytail?_ Do you? Perhaps you revel in it! Is it fun? Do you even spare a second of thought about it every day that you go around pitting your _slaves_ against each other in a _barbaric _battle of savagery for little reason but your enjoyment? I have seen your kind walk through my home forest capturing prey with your little red and white balls. And do you know what else they do? Every prey that they find, they kill to make their own Prey gain EXPERIENCE! Experience in killing innocents-"

The crowd stirred restlessly, the novelty of a talking Pokémon had long since worn off, and it was keeping them from their battle.

"Come on, fight you lousy 'mon!"

"I came here for a battle."

"Throw dat Unovan hippy offa da boat why don't ya!"

"We want a battle, not some cheap sideshow act!"

"-That have done NOTHING to gain the pain that has continued for what is most likely generations in your-" he continued futilely.

"Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle!"

"Mummy, why is that Pokémon talking?"

"I don't know dearie."

"Why is anyone throwing dat f***ing Unovan hippy offa da boat already?"

"Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle!"

"Mummy, what's 'f***ing'"

"Therefore, it is morally wrong to pit beings against each-"

"Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle! Battle!" the crowd chanted.

"-culture. And what is more, I do not see-" whatever the talking gastly had been about to say was cut off by his return to his pokéball.

Ignoring any feelings of guilt she might have felt, Lyra quickly ran out of the stadium.

"Your false teeth sir."

"Thank you. Now why isn't anyone throwing that Unovan hippy of the boat?"

* * *

><p>Lyra locked the door to her cabin and stared at the pokéball in the palm of her hand. A talking Pokémon? Ridiculous. The idea was lunacy, something reserved for children's storybooks, and at ten years old plus three weeks, she was no child.<p>

But it had _talked. _

But that wasn't what was so shocking: no, anyone could train their household chatot to speak a few sentences and while even what the gastly had said quite a lot, is was still possible to teach a Pokémon to say as much with years of training.

What _was _shocking was that while saying it, it looked like it had really understood what it was saying and had meant every word.

Absent mindedly she released Pan from his pokéball.

The customary flash filled the room, and the red light coalesced into a humanoid figure with bulging muscles, grey skin and three brown ridges on its head.

"Machop?" he inquired, tilting his head curiously at his surroundings.

Lyra smiled uneasily at diminutive fighting type. Was he sapient? Had she unwittingly enslaved a sapient being?

"Pan." She said, looking into his inhuman eyes. "Can you understand me? Nod if you can."

"Ma-chop?" Pan asked in confusion, worried about whatever it was that was so obviously upsetting his human.

Lyra smiled in relief. She hadn't enslaved an intelligent being!

But just to be on the safe side…

Lyra tossed the appropriate pokéball to the floor and immediately a white flash filled the room.

"Where am I-" the gastly shouted, before settling his gaze on Lyra. "Oh, it's you."

"Is he intelligent?" Lyra demanded, picking up Pan and waving him in front of the ghost's eyes.

The gastly hesitated, "no more than any animal," he said eventually.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"…No"

"Good" Lyra sighed in relief.

"No it is not alright!" The gastly exploded, "just because he is not as intelligent as you or I it does not give you the right to give him a life of violence and servitude!"

"What would you have me do?" Lyra snapped, "if I released Pan today, if all trainers released their Pokémon into the wild, what do you think would happen?"

"What do you say would happen then?"

"The wild Pokémon would swarm into all the human towns and cities and slaughter us all! Trained Pokémon are the only defense against predators that could kill us with a thought or a casual swipe! Do want us to leave ourselves _defenseless against that?" _

"Perhaps I was a bit hasty in condemning your entire species," the gastly admitted, "but just because it's necessary doesn't make it right."

"Why not?"

"Because it's wrong."

"But why is it-?"

"CALLING ALL PASSENGERS." A voice said, sounding from the overhead speakers. "THIS SHIP HAS BECOME PROPERTY OF TEAM- OW! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

"AHEM. THANK YOU, MUCH BETTER." The voice continued. "ANYWAY, THE SHIP IS OURS NOW, SO I SUGGEST YOU FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS. YOU MUST ALL MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE DECK, WHERE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PLACE YOUR POKEBALLS IN THE YELLOW BUCKETS PROVIDED BY THE STAFF. ALSO. WE HAVE HOSTAGES THAT WE WILL KILL IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAVE ON THE PASSENGER LIST, SO IF ANY OF YOU DON'T SHOW UP IN THE NEXT TWENTY MINUTES YOU'LL HAVE THAT ON YOUR HEADS. HAVE A NICE DAY."

The trainer and ghost stared at each other in surprise.

"I'm gonna stop them." The gastly announced, heading for the door. "Are you coming?"

Lyra moved to stop him.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed, "the voice said they were a Team! Do you know what that means?"

"No." he admitted, "what does it mean?"

The young trainer sighed. "It _means _that they're part of criminal organization, a _dangerous _criminal organsiation."

The ghost smirked, "I already had assumed they were criminals, but thanks for confirming it."

"For Ho-Oh's sake," Lyra groaned, "you're _level eight. _You can't go fighting Teams."

"Levels?" the green-eyed gastly asked curiously, "Are those strength indicators?"

Lyra facepalmed. "Don't you know _anything? _But yes, they are strength indicators. And level eight is _really low_."

The ghost thought quickly. "Help me then."

"WHAT?"

"Help me." The gastly said, "help me save everyone on this ship and defeat this Team. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Okay," Lyra sighed, "I'll help."

The ghost's face was wary. "What are your conditions?"

"I want," the trainer smirked, pausing for dramatic effect, "You to become my Pokémon."

"There's no way I'd-"

"NOW THEN. WE SEEM TO BE SHORT ONE PASSENGER, SO WE'RE GOING TO KILL ALL THESE PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES. SO NO PRESSURE, OKAY?"

The Gastly's expression hardened. "Fine then."

"But," he added as they ran out of the room, "My name is Lancer."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took so long, I've been sort of busy. Also, Black 2 and White 2 were released in the UK on the twelfth so I've been playing that... In a Nuzlocke challenge. Currently I'm training up my Pokemon so they aren't completely slaughtered by Skyla, the fifth gym leader.  
><strong>

**The rival's great, and I love it how he says "I'm going to unleash my rage!".  
><strong>

**I might just include him in the fanfic so he can say that to someone, possibly Canicus :  
><strong>

**Did I use that symbol thing correctly? I wouldn't know since I've never used one before.  
><strong>

**If you're confused about the timeskip, don't worry, I'll explain later.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>1 day later<em>

"So. What's our next plan oh great and glorious leader?" Lancer asked sulkily as Lyra flicked through the channels on the television trying to find something interesting to watch.

After the police interview, the two (three if you counted Pan) of them had found the Pokémon centre and were currently planning their next move in this unfamiliar region.

Or at least Lyra was. While she watched the TV.

"We're going to Slateport market, see if we can get any souvenirs," the trainer answered absently, pressing another button on the remote.

"_Deluxio, because you're worth it."_

"And then?" Lancer asked.

"_Now back to the re-runs of the Unovan equality debates!"_

"Then we're going to train you up a bit. There's no way you'll be any good at level 9."

"Hey!"

"_If all trainers released their Pokémon into the wild today, what do you think would happen?"_

Trainer and Pokémon alike turnedto the television set, on it, two sharply dressed Unovans were arguing fiercely with each other. Or at least one was sharply dressed, the other, well… _Is he wearing a castle?_

"_Tell me then, Alder, what should I believe would happen?"_

"_The wild Pokémon would swarm into the unprotected human settlements and wreak havoc, it wouldn't just be killing, it would be __**slaughter. **__Like it or not, trained Pokémon are our only defense against predators that could end us with a single swipe of a claw that could cut through the hardest steel, or break our minds and bodies with nothing but a single thought!"_

Finally, Lyra grabbed the remote and turned of the television hastily.

Silence ensued as the human and ghost looked at each other.

"That Alder guy said it better."

"Oh shut up!"

* * *

><p><strong>An unspecified location.<br>**

"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead."

Danny groaned piteously as light broke the thin and ultimately useless protective shell of his eyelids.

"Looks like someone doesn't want the breakfast I made, to thank you for all did on that ship. Team Magma hasn't been foiled like that for a _long _time. Well done."

Resigning himself to no more sleep, Danny resigned himself to the waking world. "What do you want from me?" he muttered.

"Oh it's awake! Well, what I want from you is for you to eat this breakfast, it's the least I can do for thanking you for saving our lives back there. Also, I would like to ask you some questions."

Danny opened his eyes cautiously, and found a large man with spectacles grinning at him enthusiastically.

"What do you want to know?" the halfa asked, shifting his body under the sheets to find a better position to launch himself from.

The man fished about in the pockets of his large lab coat and grinned widely, "Well, why the energy signature you give off is so similar to that of the ghost and ice types. Remarkable really, are you some sort of pokémorph?"

Pain exploded in Danny's mind as pure white rings of _agony _materialized over his body, sending wherever they touched into involuntary spasms. Distantly, he could feel the man helping him back into the hospital bed.

"Really, you shouldn't try to use your abilities so soon after that, do you want to make the brain damage _worse?_"

"_**Brain damage**_**?" **Danny squeaked… in a manly way.

"Yes, your injuries seem to be similar to what happens when a ghost uses 'dream eater' on a human psychic: winces of pain whenever their abilities are used due to small amounts of damage to… some areas of the brain. Though I must admit, yours is quite extreme. Good thing you have that healing factor working for you."

"So will I get better?" Danny asked hopefully.

"Yes, but I would advise against using your abilities too much during that time, since prolonged use, especially in that other form you have, might increase the damage."

"But how long will it take for me to heal completely?"

The man took out a notebook and began making some rapid scribbles, "…I would say about..."

"Yes?"

The scientist stopped writing and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "… I don't know."

Danny facefaulted.

"Or at least not yet," he amended quickly, "I'll need to examine you first." Grinning, he withdrew a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt from somewhere and handed them to Danny, "I'm sorry, but you couldn't keep the miniskirt and top: my niece wanted them back."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you made me buy that!" Lyra muttered as she took out another revive and healed the fainted gulpin.<p>

"It looks cool." Lancer protested, adjusting his fedora lovingly "I don't see why I shouldn't be able to wear it!"

"That _hat,_" the trainer grumbled, "cost me 500 poké!"

They watched in companionable silence as Pan executed a complicated back flip out of the reach of a charging electrike before sending a kick to its jaw that made an excruciating cracking sound.

"How are you even wearing it?" the ten year old asked, "I thought gastly were composed of 95 percent gas."

"I try not to think about it." The talking gastly admitted, striking an approaching minun in the face with a hypnosis attack, then leeching the minimum required energy from his target. "Otherwise it just phases through."

"Oh."

"**Get your poison sludge off my hat! Ah! Not the eyes!"**

After carefully washing the poison off the fedora in a nearby stream, they were ready to continue their training.

"Hey, do you want to have a battle?"

Lyra quickly returned Pan and Lancer to their Pokéballs before turning to face the speaker.

He could have been no older than Lyra, perhaps younger, and was only one in many of the hundreds of young trainers in training that littered the outskirts of the city.

Also, like many of the 'youngsters' the world over, he wore shorts.

"Okay, just let me heal my Pokémon first."

* * *

><p><strong>Systems: Starting<strong>

**Welcome to the Silph Corporation's PORYGON™ user interface model. What is your request?**

**BATTLE**

**BAG**

**TELEPORT**

**ANALYSIS**

**POKEDEX **

**TELEPATHIC TOOLS**

**ABOUT US**

**HELP**

**Opening…**

**ANALYSIS.**

**Would you like to save the file?**

**YES**

**NO**

**Saving… Don't turn off the power…**

**File saved.**

**Would you like to record the conversation?**

**YES**

**NO**

**RECORDING CONVERSATION…**

**DANIEL: What is that thing?**

**BIRCH: It's a Porygon™, where have you been the last twenty years?**

**DANIEL: Heh…**

**BIRCH: Moving on. This Porygon™ will analyze your health and things like that, and hopefully tell us if anything's wrong, Porygon™, activate a scan ranging from 50 to 60 Ankhs. **

**Scanning… **

**SUBJECT – Daniel Fenton.**

**AGE - 14 **

**HAIR COLOUR- BLACK**

**COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UKNOWN (Subject's accent and facial features suggest an area near UNOVA)**

**Abilities: ERROR.**

**Attempting to refine search.**

**Subject is emanating unknown energy.**

**INITIATING SAFETY CHECK.**

**Current Environment – SAFE.**

**ANALYSING UNKNOWN ENERGY.**

**ENERGY NOT FOUND IN CATALOGUE.**

**BIRCH: Well that's interesting isn't it Danny?**

**DANIEL: Yeah… **

**BIRCH: Porygon™, compare and contrast energy signature with that of the ghost type.**

**COMPARING…**

**A 32% similarity has been found, cataloguing…**

**New GHOST TYPE variant has been catalogued.**

**Rescanning Daniel Fenton.**

**SUBJECT – Daniel Fenton.**

**AGE - 14 **

**HAIR COLOUR- BLACK**

**COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UKNOWN (Subject's accent and facial features suggest an area near UNOVA)**

**Abilities: ENERGY BASED based, possibly energy projection.**

**REQUESTING LABEL FOR NEW ENERGY.**

**BIRCH: What do you want to call it Danny?**

**DANIEL: I always called it Ectoplasm.**

**New energy has been named ECTOPLASM.**

**ABILITIES – **

**ENERGY MANIPULATION**

**PHASING**

**ADVANCED HEALING**

**ALTERNATE FORM**

**Scanning has been finished, thank you for choosing Porygon™.**

* * *

><p>"How long do I have to wait for results?" Danny asked.<p>

Birch shrugged, "Probably another five hours, if even that. It's best just to wait and not use any of your abilities in the mean time."

Something struck Danny, "Professor," he said slowly, "Can you tell me about Pokémon?"

"What do you want to know?"

* * *

><p>"Use Karate Chop!" Lyra ordered, pointing for no other reason than that it looked cool.<p>

The machop grunted in confirmation and charged forwards, howling.

"Quick Attack!"

With a sharp bark, the foe's electrike bounded forwards, fur standing on end from stray electrical discharges.

Boom!

When the smoke cleared, Pan stood proudly over the small electric dog and waved his arms wildly in celebration.

"He's paralysed." Lancer announced, "It just hasn't caught up to him yet."

"What do you mean?" Lyra asked, puzzled, "there aren't any signs of…"

The foe's next pokemon, a gulpin, spat thick globules of purple sludge at the machop.

Quickly, the fighting type responded by… collapsing to the floor.

"…Oh."

"Exactly: electrikes have the ability known as static, it paralyses on contact," the ghost smirked, "are you going to use a paralyze heal then?"

The trainer searched through the contents of her bag, but found nothing. "…I've got nothing."

"I hope he can make it," Lancer said worriedly as Pan swayed unsteadily back to his feet and charged at the poison type before seizing up again barely centimeters away from his target, "Even without the type disadvantage, that paralysis would make it almost impossible to win."

Lyra paled. "Type disadvantage?"

"Well yes," the ghost scowled, "some of us _do _read the leaflets that you give them… you didn't know gulpin's a poison type did you? You _must _have noticed the attacks weren't doing much damage."

"I thought it was a grass type with good defense!"

"Well it has good defense to," Lancer conceded, "but it's purely a poison type, no secondary typing whatsoever."

Lyra turned back to the battlefield to see Pan take a shaky step forward before collapsing onto the ground in a faint.

"Your machop is defeated," announced the youngster, "send out your next Pokémon!"

"You've lost." The level 13 ghost said quickly as he watched the level 18 gulpin in trepidation, "there's no way that I'll-"

"Go Lancer!"

"Worth a shot."

* * *

><p>"…And that's how humans and Pokémon have coexisted in the past," Birch finished, proudly tapping the sketchings he had made on the black-board with a stick, "now I ought to tell you about the-"<p>

"Actually that's fine Professor," Danny interrupted quickly, "I've learnt a lot, but I think I'll want to, you know, stretch my legs a bit."

"Sure," reaching into his labcoat again, Birch withdrew a pokeball and handed it to Danny, "this is a porygon, it should be able to monitor your health and alert me if anything goes wrong."

"Thanks" Danny said, before practically running from the room.

"… Never… Again…" Lancer wheezed as he floated unsteadily over the fallen gulpin. "If I have another battle I think I'm gonna die."

**"GGGGGGGGRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAARR RRRRRRRRR!"**

A loud roar echoed in the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>How did you like that then? The three protagonists are going to meet properly in the next chapter, and hopefully a bit of what happened on the ship will be included, if I can fit it in.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8- Goliath

**Well, that took a lot of effort to write. I hope it was worth it, because now I'm mentally exhausted. Lancer, Danny and Lyra meet properly in this chapter, though explanations of what happened on the ship have to wait on the next.**

**By the way, how fluent does this seem to you?**

* * *

><p>Down the streets of Slateport a high security ambulance slash police car trundled. It had been a long day, but it looked to be a good one, for they had a dangerous criminal in captivity.<p>

"He looks so harmless, sleeping," one of the police officers commented quietly, looking down at Canicus's unconscious form, "It's hard to believe that's he's an insane pyromaniac when you look at him."

Ethan snorted, "That's because he's not actually asleep."

"Impressive," Canicus marveled, "There are very few people who could see through my act. How did you do it?"

"I didn't."

The silence was deafening.

"What."

"I actually meant that you were unconscious, not sleeping," Ethan admitted sheepishly, "I really had no idea it was just an act."

The insane pyromaniac grinned… insanely. "So you haven't noticed how with every turn the ambulance was making I've been using the excess momentum produced to stealthily undo the restraints that were applied to me, nor how I've been relaxing muscles I'd rather not talk about in polite conversation to retrieve three pokéballs on my person?"

"Fuck."

* * *

><p>An old man walked up to the halfa and handed him what looked like a CD.<p>

"Take this, it's TM 29, it contains Psychic!"

Slateport market, Danny reflected, was really strange.

Almost immediately upon exiting the Pokémon centre (because apparently that was what the medical places were called, even if you weren't a Pokémon) the halfa had been mobbed by people, strangers, bearing gifts and offerings.

Danny wondered whether there was something about being a trainer that made people want to give you stuff, because most of the people had assumed that he was one.

Once the initial shock had worn down, Danny decided to do what he had meant to do in the first place:

Find and free the green eyed ghost.

Despite what these people may believe, Pokémon, or at least the one that had saved his life _could _think and feel. The emotional pain and anxiety he had seen in the ghost's eyes had been too human for him to even think otherwise.

Idly, the halfa wondered what it would take to make people realize that this sort of slavery was wrong. _Probably a lot _he thought with a scowl, _in my world it took hundreds of years._

Unfortunately, no one seemed to have heard of a green-eyed gastly, or if they had they weren't willing to talk about it.

"So, what is a TM? Is it like a trade mark?" Danny asked, turning the disk over in his hands.

"_It is an acronym. TM stands for Technical Machine." _Came the mechanical reply.

"Way to sound enthusiastic," the halfa said, rolling his eyes, "Can't you try to sound interested?"

"_We at Silph Corporation apologise for any discomfort that you may feel when listening to the user interface voice systems and would like to remind you that there is a wide range of voices and tones available to download from our website at .Co.K/Porygon/voices."_

"…Right. But what is a Technical Machine?"

"_A Technical Machine is a disk that contains information about a move that can be used by on a variety of Pokémon to teach them the relevant move. Please be warned, however, that Pokémon that are listed as unable to learn a move may suffer serious damage if they are forced to do so."_

"You can hack into a Pokémon's brain?" Danny gasped.

"_This model is capable of using several telepathic tools, but hacking into a person's brain is not one of them."_

"Good."

"_Instead I am capable of causing seizures in Pokémon and small children."_

It was at that point Danny decided not to ask the artificial Pokémon any more questions unless it became absolutely necessary.

* * *

><p>As he waited for the dust to clear Ethan considered his options.<p>

It had been a simple enough battle, the plice officer bemoaned. Easy really. Nothing compared to what he had expected when he had heard the horror stories about what the admins could do to you, Especially when you had an entire team of water and fighting types to take out the 'mons that become signature of criminal organisations across the globe.

Until he brought out the fucking Tyranitar.

A stream of bubbles shot forward at high speeds, each containing enough kinetic power to stop a car in its tracks.

Or at least a mini.

With a contemptuous shake of its tail, the tyranitar swung the appendage round and knocked the water barrage out of its path to the pavement where they detonated harmlessly.

If you were riding a dinosaur where the chips of shattered concrete couldn't harm you, on the ground, not so much.

The tail did not stop there, however, with an ominous crunch it impacted with the head of the azumarill that had fired the attack, sending it flying.

Growling savagely from behind the riot shield he had brough up just in time, the officer recalled the water type and sent out his next Pokémon.

A gallade.

"Go Psimon!"

Ethan desperately hoped that the type advantage would be enough, since if the foe's tyranitar's defences were too high… well, fighting type moves wouldn't exactly do much, no matter the double type advantage.

It didn't help that the only fighting type move it knew was rock smash.

* * *

><p>Atop the Armour Pokémon Canicus cackled happily, leaning close to the ear of his tyranitar, he whispered, "Wreak them." Before vanishing in a flash of purple light.<p>

* * *

><p>Suddenly and without warning, bluish spheres of flying type energy materialised in a circle around the pseudo-legendary. With a deafening roar of gushing wind each individual orb impacted one by one on different parts of the gallade's body.<p>

**Crunch.**

A leg.

**Crack.**

The other one.

**Squareak!**

An arm, its blades and a good part of the shoulder.

Unnoticed to anyone, even its trainer, the gallade glowed violently twice before the next orb impacted with its face, the linked moves making bright trails in its mind.

_Miracle eye_

_Future sight_

_**Crunch!**_

Ethan cursed and recalled the psychic back into its pokéball.

* * *

><p>"But you interfered even when there was no need!" the one eyed ghost insisted, his nasally voice gradually starting to wear down the last of the reserves of Clockwork's patience.<p>

Sure, being the master of time gave him a super ghostly tolerance for annoying idiots, but people didn't seem to understand that being able to see all the timelines meant that he could see and had seen every possible way for the observants to annoy him _even more._

"We realise that you felt that you had to send to another time stream, but this is going too far!" Was he _still _talking?

Well, as a wise(?) being had said: Just smile and wave. In an effort to not sound as angry as he really was, though he was sure that he had only partly succeeded, Clockwork said, "I feel I owed it to young Daniel to ensure his survival in somewhat pleasant company."

"Even if you _felt," _the observant practically spat, "that way, you _cannot _do anything of the sort again, do you understand? It is vitally important that you do not!"

The master of time sighed. "…yes, I will not, interfere with Daniel's life any longer, it is now his own."

"Good."

_After all, with any luck I may not need to._

* * *

><p><em><strong>An unspecified amount of time ago.<strong>  
><em>

"_Lovelymeatyhootybirdcrunchys oniceandtasty," the gas cloud pondered as it floated through the forest._

"_**GGGGGAAAAAARRRRRRROOOOOOOAAA AAARRRR!" **_

_A tree hurtled past, almost skewering the ghost._

_**Predator.**_

_If the gastly was not levitating, it would have felt the tremors that shook the ground in an irregular pattern, as it was, the only noticeable thing was the shaking of foliage._

_Suddenly, a large shadow fell across the surrounding area._

_The gastly looked up._

_The __scalyrockmountain __looked down._

_Feeling perhaps the first fear it had felt in its life, the gas cloud opened a mouth and screeched excruciatingly._

"_**Hunterstakedown**__**scalyrockmountain**__**fasteatpray!" **_

_All around for miles, ghosts stopped and heeded the call, quicker than a speeding bullet they surrounded the __scalyrockmountain._

_If any human observer had been near, they would have likened it to a swarm of flies encircling a person armed with a bugswatter._

_A few gastly floated up to the eye level of the __scalyrockmountain __and began a hypnosis attack._

_No effect._

_With an easy swish of its jaws, the titan crunched down on the gas clouds._

_Screaming, they dispersed into the air._

_The next wave came, encasing the titan in a writhing black shell that could have toppled an Indian elephant almost instantly._

_On the rock/dark type, it did nothing._

_Its features contorted into a vicious snarl, the __scalyrockmountain__**glowed **__black before unleashing a devastating aura of dark energy that vaporised all gastly that came into contact with it._

_In desperation, a single gastly fired a confuse ray at the beast._

_That proved to be a mistake._

_Panicked, the __scalyrockmountain __struck out in all directions at once, uprooting trees and large boulders in its frenzy, destroying numerous homes of wild bird Pokémon that inhabited them. _

_Fortunately, the gastly, being ghost types, were unaffected, though this did nothing to save them from the famine that had been caused by the destruction._

Tyranitar.

That was its name, Tyranitar, the armour Pokémon. And now one has attacked a city, I'd recognise its cry anywhere.

It was one of the first Pokémon I checked on the encyclopaedia, being one of the few Pokémon that ever really posed a threat to a gastly while I lived in the forest.

Not only is it a dark/rock type, but also it is a pseudo legendary with the power to move mountains.

Now, while I doubt any but the strongest of them would have the strength to do such a thing they would hardly need that much to destroy a relatively weak structure. i.e. a building.

Which is why I need to stop it.

Don't look at me like that; I owe the world at least a little repayment for the evils I have committed.

Will I survive? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

I can at least try though.

* * *

><p>Quick as a linoone, Lancer raced towards the source of the noise, mentally reviewing what options he had.<p>

Hypnosis, no, Tyranitar were dark types.

Lick, Maybe, but not only was it not very effective it was a week attack that would be useless against the rock type's high defenses.

Spite, almost useless: its struggle would damage the surrounding area almost as much as any other attack would.

Mean look. Useless, he wanted to drive it away, not _keep it there!_

Night shade. In large amounts, but not something he could count on.

Curse, certainly an option, but only as a last resort since he was weak enough already even if he wasn't willing to sacrifice half his health.

But what about that strange green energy? Lancer had no idea what type it was, and judging by the colour, it was possibly grass type. The fact that it had knocked out a _slicybug _would suggest that it was either a powerful technique, or it wasn't grass type at all. Damn.

_Nogoodnogoodnogoodnogood! _Lancer mentally chanted, melting through a lamppost in his haste, _is there anything I can use?_

* * *

><p>Run.<p>

A foot came down and Ethan jumped to the side to avoid, chucking an iron spike at the soft underbelly of the titan in the process.

The tyranitar only roared in response, likely not even feeling it.

In the last five minutes, the police officer had managed to lead an enraged tyranitar to a slightly less dangerous area: the park. While Ethan doubted dog walkers would thank him, he figured it would be better for the park to be destroyed rather than numerous homes and shops.

How many iron spikes are left now?

Watch out for that tail!

16.

Duck to avoid the dark pulse.

Well that's no good.

"**Graaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!" **

Instantly debris and dirt started to swirl in haphazard patterns in the air, as if picked up by a mad artist who happened to be blind.

**A sandstorm is brewing.**

Ethan choked and brought out a dust mask to cover his mouth, though he doubted it would be much use.

Damn. Can't see a thing. Wish I had splurged on a pair of go-goggles rather than all those iron spikes.

This is no good, I'm fighting one of the world's most dangerous predators in a near replica of its native environment: like it or not, I'm most probably gonna die.

Speaking of which…

Ethan sprinted blindly in one direction, not particularly caring as to what he collided with. Behind him, there was a flash of light, and the resulting shockwave bowled him over.

That was close; I think it's playing with me.

That gives me a chance, but first I need to find a way to get rid of the sandstorm.

The police officer took half a dozen spikes out of the pouch on his belt and grinned.

"That I can work with."

So he ran.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" Danny asked quickly, searching the surrounding area for a source.<p>

"_There is a seventy eight percent match with the cry of a female tyranitar." _The porygon responded monotonously, "_Be warned that tyranitar as pseudo legendaries, are very powerful and have the destructive potential to destroy small towns_."

"So you're saying," Danny said slowly, "That somewhere in the city there's a Pokémon that could destroy a large chunk of the area?"

"_Yes."_

"Why isn't anyone worried?"

"_Since Tyranitar are not native to the Hoenn region, it most likely belongs to a trainer, who would not allow their Pokémon to go on a rampage." _ Several people ran screaming past the duo, "_On the other hand, it is possible that Team Magma, a terrorist organisation that specialises in rock, ground and fire types is the cause."_

"Isn't Magma the thing Canicus was in?" the halfa frowned.

"_Yes."_

"And they've let loose something that can level cities?" Danny confirmed, giving the orb strapped to his belt his full attention.

"_Judging by the ruckus being caused shortly after the cry of a female Tyranitar was heard in the surrounding area, it would seem so."_

Luminescent white rings encircled his body and bleached his hair white. His borrowed clothes replaced by a hazmat that hung from his body in tatters, with a miniskirt worn over the top.

"That's worrying," the ghost grunted as he steadied his movements, a sharp pain cutting into his skull, "I thought you weren't supposed to feel brain damage?"

"_Humans cannot since they have no pain receptors inside their brain. Your current form has no such limitations."_

"… Limitations, right," Danny swayed on his feet as the pain momentarily ceased, only to return twofold moments later. "My brain's gonna hate me for this later."

And with that, he took off into the skies in search of the tyranitar.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Slateport Park<span>**

"This idea was shiiiiiit!" Ethan screamed as he scrambled to avoid the colossal juggernaut.

The tyranitar only **RRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA AAARRRRRRRRRRED **in response.

Panting and coughing, the police officer swerved at a 180-degree angle, directly through the legs of the tyranitar.

Enraged, the armour Pokémon swung around quickly, its own force impaling its tail on a thick iron spike that had been attached to the horn of a statue, which had somehow survived both the sandstorm and the titan's rampage.

Naturally it was a rapidash statue.

The sculpture shattered into miniscule fragments, but the barbed wire that formed its mane latched onto the armour plating and spikes at the base of the tail.

Enraged and confused, the tyranitar stumbled backwards, only to drive the heel of its feet onto two of three spikes.

Ethan grinned as the sandstorm subsided, "Now we're talking," twirling his last two iron spikes in his hand, he hurled each simultaneously, one for each eye.

But it was a long way, and with the sandstorm gone the tyranitar easily saw it coming. With a quick twist of its neck it allowed the spikes to harmlessly bounce off the thick crown the tyranitar species boasted.

That was when Ethan understood.

Before, he'd been fighting an angry pseudo legendary that wanted to kill him.

Now, he was fighting a _furious _pseudo legendary that _really _wanted to kill him.

And now that the sandstorm had vanished, it could see him perfectly.

As the armour Pokémon started to charge energy for a hyper beam, Ethan realised that he would be unable to dodge: if he did, it could easily change the angle and hit one of the surrounding buildings instead.

Well, never let it be said Ethan Merridew ran from angry pseudo-legendaries that wanted to kill him.

...Was that really how he looked when he was a kid?

* * *

><p>Head throbbing, Danny surveyed the park with shock. What had probably once been a place of peace and happiness was now a warzone. Huge chunks of earth and gravel lay littered about the place, trees lay uprooted and a horse statue was missing its head.<p>

And in the centre of it all, a giant lizard that greatly resembled Godzilla towered over everything and its mother while gathering a bright aura of white light around its jaw.

Even in this new dimension where things were crazy and humans pitted monsters against each other Danny knew a strong energy blast power up when he saw one.

Idly the police officer counted the seconds the hyper beam took to charge. He supposed he had had a good life, and while he would rather it didn't end so soon, he could see that choice wasn't exactly in his hands anymore.

Four…

Five…

With a roar, the tyranitar prepared to let loose the devastating attack.

Suddenly, two blurs streaked from different angles and both impacted with the jaw of the titan, causing the hyper beam to shoot harmlessly into the sky.

Now that the two were stationary, Ethan took time to scrutinise the duo.

One was a gastly, which was nothing unusual.

The other was _much _more interesting.

A Unovan teenager fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing rags of some sort of black clothing and a… dark green miniskirt. Perhaps most interesting though, was that the clothes were not tattered as you might expect. Rather, they were missing large sections that seemed to do nothing to alter the shape of it. In fact, it was like someone had it them on with the idea of its shape, but not the overall patterns or anything else.

The teenager in question turned to the gastly and seemed surprised.

"You-" he started before suddenly crying out in pain, plummeting to the ground towards Ethan and spasming on the ground.

The police officer quickly knelt over the writhing form and produced bandages.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH HHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKK KK!" the teenager screamed.

"There's no need for that kind of language!"

Suddenly, a Pokéball on a belt materialised onto the teen's waist.

"_Alternate form materialisation complete. Initiating emergency telepathic support. 1… 2… 3… Telepathic support engaged."_

"What did you do?" the teenager asked once the spasms had died down. "I thought you said you couldn't hack into people's brains."

"_Except in cases of emergency. This registered as an emergency. Neutralisation of rampaging tyranitar has become top priority. Requesting aid of Daniel Fenton."_

Daniel smirked, "Did you really have to ask? What's the plan?"

"_Destruction of the rogue tyranitar. Please be warned however, that telepathic support to the damaged areas of your brain can only last for a maximum of ten minutes."_

"You can't kill it!" the gastly shouted, "It's unforgivable to even think of."

Try and figure out how the hell it's talking later, Ethan.

"What other option do we have?" the police officer snapped, "it's highly unlikely any help will be coming for another hour, at the very least. It's a _Tyranitar. _It's not like we can just subdue it and hope it works out for the best!"

"I don't really like the idea of killing it myself," Daniel admitted, "Are you sure that there's no other way?"

"I'm sure."

"But-"

"There's no other way, I'm certain."

"What if-?"

"Nope."

"Why don't we try-?"

"Done that."

"How about-?"

"_I would suggest dodging the dark pulse."_

The group scattered in differing directions and dodged the wave of black energy that shot out of the pseudo legendary.

"Anyone got a plan?" Ethan wheezed from behind an upturned boulder, "Daniel, have you got a Pokémon that knows a super effective move?"

"Do we?" Daniel asked the porygon while contorting his back at an impossible angle to dodge the oncoming gargantuan energy spheres. "My name's Danny, by the way." A screen of green energy materialised before him to block the next sphere but shattered upon impact.

"_Negative."_

"How about you then, talking gastly?"

The gastly tackled the tyranitar's quickly falling foot away from the police officer and gasped "No."

"Would it be too much to ask you use curse?"

The gaseous Pokémon considered this for a moment. "Perhaps-," he started, only to be hit by the edge of a dark pulse. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!"

Danny carved a hole in the next wave with the vibrant green energy that he had been shooting out before. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

The ghost glared.

"Sorry. Standard question."

"…I think I'm alright." He said slowly, "I can probably manage a non-lethal curse, though it'll take a lot out of me."

"Go ahead." Danny nodded, "I'll try to block any oncoming attacks."

"_Warning. Five minutes have elapsed. Five minutes remaining of telepathic support."_

His face a snarl of determination, Lancer concentrated on materialising a ghostly pin. He wasn't sure what the cause was, but the green glow that it emanated was quite unexpected.

Behind him, Danny, that boy he had saved in the forest, which seemed almost years ago, was steadily maintaining a shield, though Lancer could see what the effort took out of him.

There. The pin was finished. Lancer took a deep breath and prepared to plunge it into his body.

Without warning a crimson glowing sphere of psychic energy collided with the tyranitar and knocked it back several paces.

"-wha?" Ethan quickly pulled his jaw off the ground and smirked, "Looks like Psimon did get in a move after all."

Danny didn't understand, "What just happened?"

"_The future sight energy blast that collided with the tyranitar indicates that that either foresight or miracle eye has been used to remove the psychic immunity. Requesting use of TM 29: Psychic."_

"Go ahead." The halfa said, rolling out of the way of a charge and tripping up the titan with a glowing green tendril of ectoplasm.

"_First you must return to your original form. There are only two minutes of telepathic support remaining. Afterwards you will return to your state of pain."_

White rings flickered over his body, returning him to his human form. "What now?"

"_Press the button on the pok_é_ball to summon this model, then take the TM out of the bag."_

A white flash heralded the summoning of the diamond shaped digital construct. "NOW INSERT THE TECHNICAL MACHINE INTO THE TM DRIVE STATIONED ON THE HEAD."

"You mean this thing?" the halfa asked.

"YES. NOW HURRY." As the porygon said this Lancer dove past, firing of sharp ectoblasts as he went, "PROCESSING. YOU WISH TO TEACH THIS MODEL PSYCHIC. WHICH MOVE WILL BE FORGOTTEN?

CONVERSION

CONVERSION 2

TACKLE

SHARPEN"

"Tackle! Now use psychic!"

* * *

><p>That was perhaps the weirdest fight of his life so far, and he'd fought the ghost of a lunch lady using meat as a weapon.<p>

After the slaying of the dragon (well, more like dinosaur but Danny wasn't really going to argue with anyone who said otherwise.)

Ethan had been walking around the park picking up large metal spikes and bundling the unbent ones together into a cloth pouch he carried on his belt, the bent ones he deposited in recycling bins.

"What?" he asked defensively, "recycling is important for the environment."

"You didn't have to kill it." Lancer spat, glaring angrily at the construct. For the last five minutes he'd been alternating between sadness, shock and anger. It seemed that he'd finally settled on anger.

"NEGATIVE. IN ORDER TO SAVE THE POPULATION OF SLATEPORT THE TYRANITAR HAD TO BE NEUTRALISED."

"I wanted to save them all!"

"Lancer!" the group turned to see a ten-year-old girl running towards them. "Where have you been?"

"I've been busy Lyra." The gastly replied from his position atop the head of the dead tyranitar, where he'd been attempting to close its eyes as a gesture of respect.

Lyra gaped, "You… took down a tyranitar? I knew I made a good decision in being your trainer!"

"So you're his _trainer _then," the halfa demanded, "you're the one who enslaved him-?"

"You!"

This stopped Danny mid-sentence, "What about me?"

"You're the person I found in the woods and the one who took down Canicus!"

"I am?"

"He's the mysterious individual you told me about?" Lancer asked. "Good work."

"But I don't remember-."

"We need to leave," Ethan interjected, "I can write a report on what happened later, but I need to rest up so I suggest we all find somewhere nice and quiet. If you want we can talk on the way."

After returning the porygon to its pokéball and starting the long walk back to somewhere quiet Danny asked, "How did I beat up Canicus? It's sort of a blur after I got hit with a bunch of fire."

"You mean you can't remember?"

The halfa nodded. "That's what I said."

"Well, there I was, with only two pokemon…" Lyra started.

* * *

><p><strong>If anybody's wondering what linked moves are, they're something from mystery dungeon, where you can link moves in a certain sequence so that they can all be used one after another in the same turn. I used it because I thought since they have TMs, why not this?<strong>

**Spikes are also copied from mystery dungeon, and make even more sense to me than linked moves. They're a throw able item that causes damage to the target and are quite useful for the earlier parts of the game when your team is weaker, though they become almost completely outclassed by most attacks later in the game.**

**The idea of the character Ethan was created from watching too many episodes of Trigun in a row, though I think he turned out quite well actually, although you won't see much more of him once the group leaves Slateport, unless they return there.**

**Primarily, this is going to be about Danny and Lancer, with Lyra coming in third as a Pokémon trainer on her journey.**

**The reason why I chose Hoenn rather than Sinnoh or Unova was for three reasons: I always found Hoenn more interesting than Sinnoh, I don't think I could write convincingly about an alternate universe New York and I doubt anyone who's reading this fanfic has been to Kyushu so there probably won't be any protests from there. Secondly, Hoenn has Jirachi, which will become important later on, and thirdly I heard you like mudkips. (The Internet, that is.)**

**Signed**

**S.H.N.G L.O.T.N**

**(Singing Horses Never Greet Linguists On The Narwhals)**

**P.S. Was my portrayal of Tyranitar convincing enough? They evolve at level 55 and any of the Pokémon in the forest can't have been higher than level 20, adding to that is the fact that the ghost type is weak against dark they never stood a chance. **

**I have fond memories of wireless battles where I commanded my tyranitar to use Crunch on the foe's Gengar etc. They never stood a chance **


	9. The Exposition And Story Arc Opening Ch

**The writer known as Shng Lotn breathed slowly and calmly outside the exam hall, ignoring his blathering colleagues.**

**Slowly, from memory he recited a poem to help himself in the oncoming test. It had been ripped off from fate/stay night but worked all the same.**

**I am the graphite of my pencil.**

**Paper is my body and ink is my blood.**

**I have taken over a hundred tests.**

**Unknown to pass**

**Nor known to life**

**Withstood boredom to do lots of revision**

**Yet these brain cells will (most likely) never achieve anything**

**It was his aria, the incantation that kick-started the academic parts of his mind and imposed a more studious reality upon him.**

**So as I pray,**

**Unlimited Marked Works**

**Uncannily silent, the students entered the exam hall.**

**Shng glared at the finished French paper with most piercing gaze he could muster, trying to discover any possible spelling mistakes.**

**Number and Gender agreement (His mother had come up with the acronym NAGA for that after one revision session.)? Check.**

**Made the accent in apr****è****s a graphing one? Check.**

**Done all the accents in general? Check.**

**Included conditional? Check.**

**Used qui s'appellait (that/which was called) at one point? Check.**

**Qui…**

**There was something else about that word, something that he'd forgotten. What was it?**

_**Qui Sum Ego.**_

**Sorry this chapter took so long. Anyway, from here on Danny is officially from a slightly AU. Sorry if this disappoints you.**

**I made a distinction between legendary and LEGENDARY Pokémon here.**

**Legendary Pokémon are things like Moltres, Articuno, Zapdos, Raikou, Suicune, Entei, Latios, Latias, Tornadus, Cobalion, Virizion and a few others. They're pretty much strong Pokémon species with a few legends to their name, except for Raikou, Suicune and Entei, who are mutated immortal eveelutions, but that isn't going to be a plot point (probably).**

**Then there are the Mirage Pokémon, which includes Mew, Celebi, Jirachi (Who definitely ****Will ****be a plot point.), Shaymin, Azelf, Mesprit, Uxie, Victini and whatever other small and cute legendary Pokémon that will be released in the future. They're all unique, having no family and the intelligence of a clever dolphin (Except Mew and Celebi, who are at human level.) and have everything from rumours to confirmed sightings to their name. Technically Genesect, Deoxys and Mewtwo count for this category but Genesect's project has only just started and… almost no one knows **_**anything **_**about Mewtwo. Deoxys is an alien and hasn't arrived on Earth yet…**

**The last category is mythical Pokémon. Which Mew (and perhaps one day Mewtwo…), Jirachi and Celebie also qualify for. They're ridiculously powerful Pokémon that feature in the Pokémon world's mythology and are either as intelligent as a dinosaur or bug (Groudon and Kyogre, Lugia, Normal forme Kyurem and Giratina) or have the intelligence of an ancient Greek god (Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, Ho-Oh, Reshiram and Zekrom.)**

**The Jirachi Hunt was conceived after marathoning Fate/Zero, which I'm actually very proud of.**

**This is the third rewrite of this chapter, so I hope you enjoy. **

**Sorry for the long Author's note, **

**Shng Lotn**

**(Skinning Hippos Never Graduated Lest Oscillating Tiger Ninjas)**

* * *

><p>"…"<p>

Canicus paused in his ramblings, "Listen, that _burned up _joke was funny; why aren't you laughing?"

The magma admin ducked just in time for the fighting type projectile to sail past his head harmlessly.

The machop made a leap at his head again so he hurled the body of one of the downed grunts in the fighting type's path.

_Crunch._

"Flame burst!" Canicus ordered.

Despite its best efforts the superpower Pokémon failed to dodge the blast completely: the bursting flame scorching it on the side. Alone it would have done very little damage, but against a weaker opponent that possessed only the advantage of speed it was fatal.

"Flamethrower," Canicus commanded.

Just before fire struck the machop a crimson beam of light impacted on its body, returning it to its pokéball.

For the first time in the battle Canicus turned to face his human opponent. What he saw sent a tremor down his spine.

Many individuals from all corners of the world had tried to determine what made some ten to fifteen-year-olds such good trainers but no one knew the true reason. Some theorised that children possessed stronger psychic powers than any other age group while others believed that their youth appealed to their slave's… protective instincts which inspired them to fight all the much harder.

After years of study the experts had resigned them to ignorance and shoved the mystery in the same pile as the reason why an alarmingly high percentage of twins became deadly enemies, developed powerful psychic powers or turned out to be extremely talented double battlers.

While Canicus didn't care about the why, he knew that any attempts to win this battle would result in a loss for him so it would be a lot easier for him to just surrender now and…

"I've come to far to give up now," he told the girl, "I'm not gonna give up just because you're a ten year old child."

The young trainer grimaced. "I was afraid of that. Go Lancer."

"Flamethrower!"

A blinding jet of blue flame engulfed the flying pokéball, incinerating whatever Pokémon that had been contained in the sphere within seconds.

Or any item, for that matter.

Canicus leapt to the side to avoid the projectile that erupted from the sphere.

The molten bicycle bent easily upon impact with the floor, spraying globlets of liquid metal that splashed harmlessly on the magma admin's fireproof trouser legs.

Slipping a pair of sunglasses on protected his eyes from the glare of the flash that the girl's gastly let off, but did nothing to impede its _sucker punch._

That was what repel was for.

Ducking easily under the speeding gaseous bullet Canicus produced an aerosol can of repel from his waistcoat pocket and sprayed liberal amounts on the gastly.

"_Ember."_

The gastly's screams were a little too human to be normal, and the young trainer shook slightly as she returned it.

"Well done," Canicus complimented, clapping sarcastically with each syllable, "you managed to lose in… 20 seconds, that's quite a feat, you should be proud of yourself. I'm afraid that I forgot to bring a celebration cake, and we'll have to improvise with the candles, but congratulations." He grinned. "Remember to make a wish."

"_Can…" _

Canicus blinked in surprise, before kicking the miniskirt wearing teen on the stomach. "Quiet. I'll deal with you later."

Shakily, the teenage cross dresser climbed to his feet. His eyes had an unfocused look to them that spoke of uncomprehending malice. _"Caaaaaannnnnniiiiiiicccccuuu uuussssssss!" _he screeched.

The magma admin bit back a laugh and punched the teen in the head, downing him.

The teen's eyes flashed a brilliant green. _"CCCCCCCCCCCAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN IIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCUUUU UUUUUUUSSSSSSSSS!"_

Canicus's world exploded in green light.

* * *

><p>"But I don't remember that!" Danny protested. "The professor said I was practically brain dead!"<p>

"Tea?" Ethan asked.

"Thanks."

After fleeing from the scene of the crime, they had all gone to the police officer's place to calm down and talk.

"So what about you, Danny?" Ethan asked cautiously, "What's your story?"

The teen in question tensed, his body shifting into a more combat-ready stance before relaxing. The difference was minute but being a trained police officer helped you to spot it, in Ethan's opinion.

Danny busied himself by gulping down the tea, which he instantly regretted. "I thought you said this was tea!"

"I did. Whatever Unovan brew you had before must've been for sissies."

The halfa considered the tea again, then sighed and decided to get it over with quickly. "I'm-not-from-around-here."

"Obviously." Lyra scoffed. "You're Unovan, right?"

"No, I'm- ."

"From the orange islands?"

"Actually, I'm from-."

"Orre?"

"No, I'm really-."

"Almia?"

"Listen to me when-."

"India?"

"I'M FROM ANOTHER WORLD OR UNIVERSE!" Danny shouted, the soundwaves actually bowling over all the inhabitants of the room. "Wait, you have India?"

"Seriously?" Lyra gaped, her exercise of trolling Danny completely forgotten. "How does that work?"

"I figured it was something like that." Ethan admitted, taking a swig from his teacup. He stopped when he noticed everyone was looking at him oddly. "You get all sorts when you've been working in traffic as long as I have."

"So does everyone have your powers on your home world?" Lyra asked.

"No, I got them in a lab accident."

"I figured it was something like that." Ethan admitted, taking a swig from his teacup. He stopped when he noticed everyone was looking at him oddly. "You get all sorts when you've been working in traffic as long as I have."

"And then I knew what I had to do," Danny continued, "I had to stop all the ghosts that were coming through."

Lancer raised an (invisible) eyebrow. "What do you mean 'coming through'?

"Well," the halfa started, "the first thing you need to understand about my world is that we don't have any Pokémon."

"I figured it was something like that." Ethan admitted, taking a swig from his teacup. He stopped when he noticed everyone was looking at him oddly. "You get all sorts when you've been working in traffic as long as I have."

"What does working in traffic have to with parallel universes having Pokémon?" Lyra asked in confusion.

"It's a running gag," Lancer explained, "pay it no heed."

* * *

><p><em>The first thing you need to understand about my world is that we don't have Pokémon like you guys do: instead we have ghosts.<em>

_No, I don't mean like the 'type', well sort of. It's complicated._

_They live in this other world that's parallel to the human one called the Ghost Zone. It's made of ectoplasm, which is also what the ghosts are made up of._

_Most ghosts can do lots of really crazy stuff like what I did earlier, and usually I'd be even better, but my powers seem to be weaker here for some reason, and not just the brain damage._

_Yes that's what the 'porygon''s for, though hopefully not for long._

_The thing is, most people didn't used to __**believe**__ in ghosts, though there were a few exceptions._

_One of the major ones being my parents._

_I don't know the how or even the __**why, **__but they built and designed a ghost portal._

…_Let's say one thing led to another, but in the end there was a great big flash and everything just changed._

_When I first woke up I realised I had snowy white hair and glowy green eyes, hell, I could even walk through walls disappear and FLY!_

_You could say I was unique compared to any other guy, and it was then that I knew what I had to do: I had to stop all the ghosts that were coming through._

_That portal must have sent a signal through the Ghost Zone sending every one of the things a written invitation, because pretty soon my hometown was crawling with the things._

_First it started small, with ghostly lunch ladies raging at the menu being changed and bully haters seeking revenge from beyond the grave, but it escalated fast once I started making a name for myself._

_I even had a hunter trying to get my skin for Christ's sake!_

_Christ? He's a religious figure from my world. No, I don't know who Arceus is._

_Fortunately my friends kept me sane, and even helped on some occasions, though I had to keep my identity as a ghost a secret from my parents, otherwise they'd 'tear me apart molecule by molecule'._

_Yes I know I'm probably being too harsh on them._

_After about a year me and my parents met with my teacher at the Nasty Burger to talk about one of my tests. There was another flash and I woke up in the woods all burned up._

_Is there any way for me to get home?_

* * *

><p>"I figured it was something like that." Ethan admitted, taking a swig from Danny's teacup as his own was now empty. He stopped when he noticed everyone was looking at him oddly. "You get all sorts when you've been working in traffic as long as I have."<p>

"Wow." Lyra had thought it would be an odd story, but she hadn't expected Danny to sound so… bitter. "There are two."

"Really?" Danny asked eagerly.

"Well, first you could catch a Celebi, but they're almost impossible to find. The second thing to do would be to go to Mount Coronet and challenge one of the mythicals."

"How strong are they?" The halfa asked.

"It figures that you'd say that." Ethan chuckled, taking a swig from his teacup, having refilled it from the kettle. "But trust me when I say this kid, you don't want to fight one of our gods."

"But if you do I'll help you." Lancer announced from inside his teacup. "It's the least I can do."

"No one's fighting any mythicals." The police officer interjected firmly, "you just aren't strong enough."

"And you can't go to Sinnoh because you're staying with me." Lyra added.

Danny smirked dangerously. "You think so?"

"Yes, I do."

The halfa's posture sagged. "What _can_ I do then?"

"_You could enter the Jirachi Hunt." _Birch's voice announced, his voice emanating from the porygon's pokéball.

Danny started. "You were listening?"

"_I heard every word. The Jirachi Hunt is a region wide competition, with hundreds of trainers all competing for a single prize: the right to have three wishes granted by the mythical slash legendary Pokémon Jirachi."_

"How do you win?" Danny asked.

"Don't listen to the old man." Ethan told him, eyes narrowed at the porygon pokéball dangerously, "this was probably his plan all along."

"_I don't know what you mean," _Birch denied. _"To win you have to be the last trainer standing with all eight Hoenn League gym badges. To make it more interesting if you lose in a battle against another Jirachi Hunt trainer you must hand over all the badges you possess, and will have to defeat other Jirachi Hunt trainers to get at least one badge within a day, or challenge a Pokémon gym, but you can only win a single badge from each gym, so tough luck if you've already challenged it."_

"Can anyone enter?" Lancer asked.

"_Only humans, I'm afraid, so unless Lyra wants to enter-."_

"I'll do it." Lyra said.

"…_Okay then, come by to my lab later to get registered, but remember, registry ends tomorrow!"_

After a few seconds of silence Ethan sighed. "Good luck."

"Are we gonna be enemies then?" Danny asked Lyra, a slight edge to his voice that did not go unnoticed.

"No! Of course not!" Lyra shook her head frantically, "I was thinking we could instead team up!"

"…Team up?"

"Yes." Lyra nodded. "I only have one wish I want granted, so which ever one of us wins can make a wish for the other person as well!"

"Sounds good to me." The halfa relaxed, stress that he did not even know he had vanishing from his body. "What about you, Lancer?"

"I would gladly help you back home," the gastly assured him, "but if you don't want it, could you please leave me the third wish?"

"I think we can do that, can't we Danny?"

"Sure"

They shook on it.


	10. The long road to Mauville

"They really went all out." Danny marvelled, "How much could this have cost?"

After departing from Ethan's the trainer, halfa and gastly with the mind of a human set out to make their way to the Pokémon centre where Danny knew Birch was based.

"You're just in time," the professor told them, "I was just about to pack up. Who wants to go first?"

"I will," Danny stepped forward. "Where do I sign?"

The professor smiled. "You don't, all I have to do is give you a Jirachi Hunt pokénav and you'll be set to go."

Lyra brought out her pokégear. "I already have a pokégear, is that alright?"

Birch shook his head. "No, pokégear can't use pokénav apps, plus when you turn a pokégear off it's actually completely off, which ruins the main goal of giving out free pokénavs in the first place."

The trainer stilled. "You mean..?"

Birch smiled apologetically, "Devon Corp is going to be tracking your whereabouts for the duration of the Hunt, I'm afraid. But don't worry! Because you can also track other Hunt trainers using the Huntapp (trademark.). This is because the Hunt is top secret, and otherwise nobody would be able to find _anyone _without going about on the streets shouting 'I'm a hunt trainer! Come get me!'_."_

The large professor dipped a hand into his lab coat and retrieved two pokénavs, one pink and the other yellow. Lyra quickly snatched up the yellow one, leaving Danny with the pink.

Lancer hovered nervously between the two humans; feeling very uncomfortable due to the glare Danny was giving Lyra.

Birch continued regardless. "Which we obviously don't want, so that's why you have the Huntapp (trademark). To register it to yourself you hold the infrared scanner on the top up to your left eye and say 'begin eye scan registration'."

The two humans did so.

"Now say your names."

"Danny Fenton."

"Lyra-."

Something exploded in the distance, conveniently preventing anyone else except for the pokénav from hearing her surname.

"Now Danny, I know you don't actually own a Pokémon, so I'm giving you that porygon as a gift. Aren't I kind?"

"…Thanks."

The professor led them to the door. "You have a week to get your first badge or you'll get disqualified, and remember, you only lose your badges to other hunt trainers and you can challenge a gym as many times as you want but you can only get their badge _once, _okay? Good luck!"

Danny turned, remembering. "How long is it going to take me to heal from my brain damage, professor?"

"Half a year if you don't use your abilities. Now go!" With those words the Pokémon professor shoved the duo out of the door and locked it firmly.

He made his way to one of the many computers that lined the walls, strategically placed so that no one looking through the windows could see what he was doing.

"_My little ponyta… My little ponyta…"_

And so he watched season three. It was great.

"They really went all out." Danny marvelled. "How much could this have cost?"

Currently they were walking along the route north of Slateport to Mauville City, where they would be able to get their first badge from Watson, the electric gym leader.

So far half a dozen plusle/minun duos, 5 gulpin and a single roselia had attacked them.

And still it was a quieter day than some of the ones Danny had had while ghost hunting.

"_200,000 poké." _said the porygon. _"You may be interested to know that there are three electrike approaching us rapidly."_

Lyra, who had been healing some fallen gulpin at Lancer's behest looked up in interest, simultaneously switching on her pokénav. "Do you think we'll be able to catch one?"

Lancer stilled. "You want to capture another being to fight for you?" he asked. "I don't think so."

The vibrant green grass that they had been walking across suddenly seemed to chill, despite the heat of the day.

A breath of ghostly discoloured air escaped Danny's mouth. _'Yeah, Lancer said he used 'dream eater' on me, which gave him some of my powers didn't he?'_

Without any supernatural senses Danny doubted Lyra was able to feel anything other than a slight chill.

"I think we're going to have to," Lyra explained, "You know what type Watson uses, don't you?"

The coldness retreated and somewhere Danny could hear birds tweeting in the background.

"Electric?" Lancer replied, "I don't understand what that has to do with getting an electric type ourselves, especially a pre-evolution of one of his…"

"And what's strong against electric?"

"Ground, and I suppose grass has a resistance-."

"And what's strong against ground?"

"Ice water and grass."

"And what's strong against water?"

"Electric…" Lancer said, his features relaxing with understanding.

"Exactly! Whatever Hunt trainers that would be there to challenge whoever defeated the gym and pounce on the easy pickings would be helpless against our electrike." Lyra beamed.

"You just want an electrike don't you?"

"O-o-of course not! Don't be ridiculous!" Lyra spluttered. "It's a legitimate plan!"

"Is not." The gastly scoffed.

"Is to."

"Liar."

"I'm not a liar!"

Danny watched the scene unfolding before him and sweat-dropped. "I think we're forgetting something," he muttered, "guys, what about the electrikes?"

A yellow and green _howling _electrical puppy tackled through Lancer's body, inhaling the poisonous gases and knocking itself out. Lancer and Lyra didn't even notice and continued to argue.

"I'm going ghost!"

Rings of ghostly light exploded over Danny's body transforming him into his alter ego, Danny Phantom.

Wearing a miniskirt.

Again.

"_Telepathic support enabled. Two minutes remaining."_

The halfa punched the second flying electrike in the face, knocking it out cold. Using the moment from the punch he leaned forward and kicked the third electrike under the jaw.

"_One minute and fifty five seconds remaining, it is suggested transforming back into-."_

A second lot of rings passed over Danny's body, paling his skin and returning him to his human form.

"Lyra," he said cautiously, "I've got them."

"Not now Danny," she snapped, eyes narrowed at Lancer and ignoring Danny completely, "I have to talk with this… moron… about preparation."

"How do you catch one?" Danny asked, taking one of the pokéballs Birch had given him out of his pocket. "You throw it don't you?"

"_Correct."_

Danny returned the filled pokéball to his pocket feeling strangely guilty. There was something that struck him as wrong about throwing a sphere the size of a cricket ball at what was for all intents and purposes a little electrical puppy.

That was when it started raining.

They ran.


	11. Ghost Story

**As if being turned into a human/ghost hybrid wasn't enough, Lancer can't rest in peace. He learns that someone is in mortal danger in the city of Mauville, and only by intervening can he save him or her.**

**It would just be easier if he was higher than level twenty, had a (working) Fenton Thermos and had help from his allies. And he's far from the only ghostly presence roaming Mauville's darkest streets. Hell, he doesn't even know most of what the Pokémon world is like! The silver lining is that they don't know ****him ****either.**

**Pokémon – It can get a guy killed.**

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I didn't catch one." Lyra sighed. "You should have told me that the electrike were there." She removed a set of pyjamas from her rucksack and turned away quickly.<p>

I had little desire to create a repeat of our first night as trainer and Pokémon, as amusing as it was in hindsight.

Phasing through a wall, I passed into Danny's room, the gaseous molecules of my body diffusing through the wall at supernatural rates.

I think it's diffusion anyway. I could be wrong.

"Hey Lancer." Danny greeted me, sounding awkward.

I steeled myself and prepared for what would most likely be a conversation about the enslavement of Pokémon, including such topics like how wrong it was and whether Lyra was treating me as an individual with rights.

Surprisingly enough she had treated me like any other person you would meet on the street, though this may have been a bad thing considering that she was a ten year old with all the accompanying social skills.

"What's up?" I answered. _'I agree with you, the enslavement of animals in these fights cannot go on…'_

"Does it make me a bad person?" the hybrid asked, surprising me completely.

"Wha?" came my… eloquent reply.

Danny gulped. "That I was willing to catch the electrike just so I could get home?" he clarified, "That I sort of see the point of training in the sense of defending yourself?"

I thought long and hard before answering his question. On one hand it _was _wrong: he had taken away the will of another living creature to do his fights for him. On the other…

"Danny," I said quietly, "how big is Amity Park?"

"Quite big, I guess." He replied, "Why?"

"Is there any one else with the abilities to defend it from the ghosts?" I continued, "That you know of?"

The halfa's face relaxed with relief. "Not for long."

"And is the pain that you're going to put that electrike through compare to the survival of an entire settlement?"

"Thanks." the halfa said, pulling the bedsheets up to his chin, "Good night Lancer."

"You're welcome," I told him, "Good ni-."

My wishing of a pleasant night was interrupted by his snores.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and drifted off into the realm of the sandman.

Any minute now.

Sometime.

Damn it I need to sleep!

You see, lacking anything in the way of a solid brain, gastly don't actually _need _to sleep. Why would they have to? It's not like they regularly get the minds of humans implanted in their own, which creates the need for a good night's sleep!

Pokéballs seem to help in that regard forcing my mind into a pseudo hibernating state that resembles sleep.

Looks like it's gonna be the slavéball then.

And no, that's not a word despite how much it should be in a world where tne-year-olds can capture gods.

Unfortunately my (slavé)ball was in Lyra's room, who liked to sleep… Well let's just say I wouldn't be able to go in there without feeling guilty for several reasons.

Danny's snores continued unabated.

Looks like there was only one thing to do.

* * *

><p>Mauville is a beautiful city, the tourists say.<p>

Who could blame them? With all the appropriate traps, bright neon lights powered by the local electric wild-life and cinemas to rival Virbank it certainly makes for an enjoyable holiday experience.

And did we mention the charming _authentic _mighteyena stationed outside most public buildings, expressively bred by Breeders and Friends (trademark) to keep those pesky ghost types?

How absolutely delightful.

"Ow," I glared at the hyena/dog hybrid_, _"no going into the cinema. I understand."

The mighteyena glared back, each one considerably more ferocious than my meagre look.

Plan B it is then.

* * *

><p>I adjusted my coat uncomfortably and held the cinema ticket tight in my hand.<p>

A mighteyena leaped at me and I ducked, though it managed to snag my fedora in its jaws.

The second mightyena hissed and readied itself to pounce, but a red beam of light returned it to its (slavé)ball.

"Easy there girl," the human said. He turned to me apologetically. "Are y'alright there fella?"

Making my voice sound as wheedling and annoying as possible I answered, "yes though I suppose you and your _mutts _didn't exactly help in that regard."

Come on, don't notice the glowing green eyes…

"Mightyena are felines," he retorted with a glare, "An' I don't like your attitude."

I gestured at the first mightyena, the one who _still _had my hat. "And it's not _your _'at 'e chewed. So keep your opinions to your self."

The human grunted in amusement, and I noticed that his customer service badge listed him as Chekov. "Very funny. Return."

I picked up the chewed hat and carefully wiped off the pokédrool. "Can I go and see my film now, _Chekov?"_

"Suppose so. It's a free country ain't it?"

"Unless you're a Pokémon." I said quietly.

"Just get in already abd shut up or I'll knock your block off!"

Wary of his words, I hurried into the theatre.

* * *

><p>"<em>But can you love me even when I'm a giant size?"<em>

"_Of course! I will always love you no matter your size!"_

The film wasn't exactly what I had been expecting.

Rather than focusing on plot and dialogue it instead seemed to contain a storyline that the audience was intimately familiar with, and so saw no reason to waste time on trivial things like setting the scene. Instead they only had a few bars of text and jumped straight into the action.

What made them worth it for the people then?

There was only one thing that the people seemed to be there to see, and that was the actors.

As I understood it, there was no set script and the actors had almost complete free will in choosing the actions of their characters, as long as it was within reason and made a good story.

"_Shng!"_

The protagonist to the film I was watching was an actor named Shng Lotn, starring in the romantic comedy _The Giant Lady 3 _and had next to no acting experience, which I suppose is one of the reasons it was called a comedy.

This made it actually pretty funny.

As funny as it was, it wasn't enough to distract me from the wisp of poisonous gas that escaped my mouth.

_A ghost, here? Shouldn't the guard dogs have taken care of it?_

Quickly I vacated the body of the man I had been overshadowing and looked around, trying to spot where the ghost could be. Wait, maybe it was a benevolent ghost that wanted nothing to do with its more violent brethren-?

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

Pure hatred like I had never felt before flooded the cinema, almost threatening to wash me away in a current of pure spite.

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

There was no way I could let anyone suffer the brunt of the power of anything capable of producing **that **much killing intent. Quickly I looked around, searching desperately for where it was focused.

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

Stretching out my empathic senses as far as I could I found the target point of the homicidal rage.

There, that teenaged girl sitting next her boyfriend in the front row!

Quickly I _sucker punched _the space in front of her head, zooming down at speeds I hadn't known I was capable of to intercept the fatal strike.

My head hurt like hell but I managed to throw the attacking ghost off course.

It wore a grey goblin's hat on its head and had a star-like tail not too dissimilar to that of a teddy bear. Most striking of all about its appearance were its gleaming yellow eyes and a zipped-up mouth from which wisps of dark energy spilled haphazardly, unable to be fully contained by such a small vessel.

* * *

><p>Humans in this world have psychic powers. How could they not, being able to control super-human creatures to do their bidding and follow complex, <em>complex <em>commands?

There's also a reason empaths are a fair bit more common than mind readers, psychics and aura guardians: emotions are more powerful and therefore very easy to read.

Dolls and action figures.

Most children have probably invested time and effort into the caring of dollies, feeding them, bathing them and generally cuddling them like they were real people rather than the immobile objects they truly are.

Cuddly toys are a child's best friends, after all.

But there comes a day when you have to throw the toy away, abandoning Buzz and Woody and throwing them in the trash. It's all part of growing up.

Often when a child is giving away their childhood friend they kiss it on the forehead, wave goodbye and say, "Goodbye Teddy."

You feel guilty. Of course you would: you're leaving behind a friend, a baby that can't take care of itself and pretty much saying, "I'm sorry but we can't be friends anymore. You're on your own now."

Have you ever been betrayed by a close friend, had them give away your secrets? It hurts, and you feel angry with them, you want to make them _hurt _and _regret it. _He asked for it, He called me stupid.

It's an experience children know all too well, and therefore the toys they treated like people do to.

And if you're very unfortunate and are stupid enough to leave it somewhere abandoned like say a landfill site, a shuppet is gonna find it and _become _the abandoned toy in a way a bit like my own transformation.

Thus a BANETTE is born.

Consumed with hatred and a voracious appetite the ghost- no, the monster ingests hundreds of spirits to gather enough power to take revenge on the scum who abandoned them .

And what was I but another ghost?

Lucky me.

I had _one _advantage however. My transformation had changed my primary type- ghost –into ectoplasm, while still leaving me with my ghost typed attacks.

Not being the same type as its user weakens the moves by a third, but the fact that my opponent was in essence a ghost doubled the effect. And since I was ectoplasm type the same could not be said for any ghost type moves used on me.

* * *

><p>I whipped forward, colliding with the banette in a <em>lick<em> attack that sent it flying backwards into the cinema screen.

Something broke and it wasn't the screen.

As they often do when spotting a personification of the hatred of abandonment, people ran screaming out of the cinema.

This also included the teenager.

The BANETTE fired a _shadow_ _ball_ at the fleeing female that radiated general feelings of ill will and discontent.

"_Oh no you don't!"_ I screamed, and unleashed my own. The power was significantly less than my opponent's, but it was enough.

The powerful energy sphere gouged a deep hole in the floor that sent chairs flying everywhere, including at the head of its original target.

She crumpled to the floor unconscious and the BANETTE let out a rattling shriek that made my blood boil.

Once again I _sucker punch_ed my enemy off course, this time through a wall.

"Well," I remarked after several seconds of silence, the only sound being police sirens wailing in the distance, "That was easy."

The BANETTE coalesced from the shadows before me and yellow eyes met green.

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

…Oh god… How could such hatred exist?

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

Burning rage the likes of which I had never even knew _existed _flooded every atom of my gaseous body, tearing away streams of poisonous vapour that constituted my body.

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

It was going to eliminate me then move onto that _filthy-traitor-scum _that had dared _to abandon _it.

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

And take away one of my chances of redemption? NO.

'_Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken- Hate-revenge-burn-slash-tear-rend-forsaken-'_

"I! WILL! NOT! FAIL!" I _screeched_, except it wasn't exactly a _screech _per se.

Rings of green ectoplasm emanated from my mouth, carried by the sound waves I was producing. I heard a wailing sound similar to that of a stereotypical ghost and to my shock realised it was I who was making it.

It was very ghostly wail, and not in the least bit weak.

At the last moment, when it felt as if the move would drain the last reserves of my strength the wail cut off, leaving a ringing in my ears that spoke poorly of their state.

I dropped to the ground utterly spent, doing the ghostly equivalent of breathing heavily and slowly gathered up the wisps of gas I had lost under the BANETTE's psychic bombardment.

A keening sound echoed throughout the destroyed movie theatre, more torturous than a thousand nails on a thousand chalk boards.

The BANETTE floated before me, seizing and jerking in odd ways and my body went cold as I realised what it was doing.

It was _laughing. _

Why wouldn't it? Its quest of vengeance that had spanned years had finally come to an end, and the only resistance it had encountered had fallen before its might.

It could take time in its vengeance, tear away a few strips of flesh, laugh in the victim's face and do the same to me, except more spiritually.

I should know: I'd done the same thing myself numerous times.

As it jerked about the Zip on its mouth glinted in the moonlight, sending dirty gold light dancing on the ground.

Wait…

Its zip.

I grunted in exaggerated pain, asking it to come a little closer.

It complied.

"Got your nose!" I howled, delirious from exhaustion and pain, and yanked the zipped mouth wide open.

The zip on a banette's mouth is intended to contain the spiritual they've gathered and stolen. They can't contain it in a convenient way as it's already been produced, and so when the zip's opened…

Imagine letting the air out of a balloon.

For comparison's sake let's say the balloon is full of smoke and that it's bigger on the inside.

Torrents of spiritual energy spilled out of the BANETTE, pouring into the night's sky.

In the midst of all that lost energy the BANETTE looked at me and glared.

Uh-oh.

Tired, and weakened as I was I had no defence against the attacking BANette, which was rapidly becoming a BAnette. The difference in letters signifies the amount of power it has.

Closing my eyes I prepared myself for the inevitable…

Chekov's voice rang clear throughout the area. "Skill! Gun! Bite!"

The two mightyena pounced on top of the Banette, and tore it apart.

I averted my eyes and found myself fading into unconsciousness.

When I came to I found Chekhov looking down on me with an unreadable look.

"Go," he said, "I'll take care of everything else."

I complied eagerly.


End file.
